National Commission for UNESCO
In
Collaboration with
UNICEF/WES
and UNV
World Water Day
Under the Theme of Water and
Health
Symposium on
The Role of Volunteerism in
Sustaining WES Services
Final Report
Damazin, 22 April 2001
Symposium on
The Role of Volunteerism in
Sustaining WES Services
Final Report
Introduction:
Volunteerism
has been part of almost every society. As the growing global problems continue
to adversely affect the most vulnerable sectors of society, the role of the
civil society, in partnership with Governments and the private sectors, is
significantly emphasized to assume ever greater responsibilities in the
development process. Hence, the need for volunteers’ involvement is greatly
needed more than ever.
World Water Day is an annual event aiming at encouraging all concerned
parties to preserve and protect water. A new theme is selected each year to
highlight water issues of world - wide concern. The theme this year is “Water
and Health”. This in recognition of the fact that health is the
prerequisite for any development at all. To provide safe, clean water for
drinking and sanitation is simply the fundamental condition for bettering the
human health. High priority is given to this issue as 1.2 billion people in
developing countries lack adequate access to safe sources of fresh water and
twice as many lack access to proper sanitation services.
General Objectives:
Include
the objectives of the IYV set by the UN as:
1. Increased recognition of the voluntary work.
2. Increased facilitation for the voluntary work.
3. Networking for dissemination of information and exchange of experience
on voluntary work.
4. Promotion of voluntary services.
5. Increased awareness on the link between water and health.
Specific Objectives:
1. To commemorate the World Water Day in recognition of the many important
roles water plays in every aspect of our lives.
2. Public information of IYV and it’s objectives.
3. To highlight the significant interrelationship between water and health.
4. Awareness raising on the impact of safe drinking water and sanitation on
health.
5. To highlight the role of volunteers at the community level in sustaining
water and environmental sanitation services.
Participants:
About 100 participants attended the Symposium including the following
categories:
-
Different voluntary groups at the community level.
-
Politicians.
-
Government Staff.
-
Private sector.
-
UN Organizations.
-
Members of WES projects.
Programme:
Opening Session:
Ustaza Huda Mohamed Ismail, Assistant Secretary General for Science, addressed the session of behalf of the National Commission for UNESCO that organizes Water World Day annually. She raised the issue of water as strategic resource and the efforts of different states to decrease the gab between available water resources and population needs. She highlighted the theme this year of “Water and Health” as the provision of safe drinking water that has great positive impact on health improvement, and the need for coordination at the national, regional and international level in water issues. She emphasized the need for more activation of public, private and voluntary services at the grass root level I the centre and the states.
Dr. Salwa Tabiedi, National UN Volunteer for the International Year of Volunteers (IYV 2001) addressed the opening session. She highlighted the impact of water and environmental sanitation (WES) on population development and hence socio-economic development and the correlation between health and provision of water first in terms of quantity and second in terms of quality. She acknowledged the outstanding cooperation between National Commission for UNESCO, UNICEF, UNV and WES projects – Blue Nile, wishing it’s continuity for the population welfare. She mentioned that the symposium was organized on the occasion of Water World Day and within the programmes of IYV 2001. On this context, highly recognition is given to the role of volunteers in sustaining WES services that is reflected in the contribution of WES unit at the Mahalia level and Village Health Committee (VHC) at the village level.
Eng. Ahmed Hassaballa, Director WES Project in Damazin addressed the meeting and emphasized the impact and contribution of WES projects.
He pointed out the importance of the symposium and the need for cooperation and collaboration between the organizing agencies.
H.E Hassan Salih, Commissioner of Damazin province welcome the participants and the UN Agencies representatives. He expressed his pleasure as the symposium discusses very important issues of water and health pointing out that water can be problem in case of excess or lacking so there is great need for water conservation and protection. H.E raised water problems in Damazin Province that include the long distance between water sites and the areas of consumption and the need for scientific studies that can come out with practical appropriate solutions that can be applied.
H.E Eng. Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Nour, Minster of Planning and Public Utilities, Minister of Health a.i and Wali of Blue Nile State a.i addressed the meeting stressing the high priority given to water sector in the State. He highlighted the importance of conservation to insure sustainability of water as a renewable strategic resource that given much attention throughout the world. He pointed out that although the State has Nile water resources and it has low population density, it suffers from water scarcity. This need to be solved through model that can adopted to face water problems in the State. H.E emphasized the need integrating water and health issues to face the problems of Hafirs pollution. Finally he stressed the need for cooperation between national and international institutions to face water problems and protect renewable resources through activation of volunteers and community participation.
At the end of the opening session acknowledgement was presented to WES unit at Bao Mahalia, Damazin Province in recognition of it’s outstanding contribution to the operation and maintenance of water services.
Following the opening session, the exhibitions organized by WES Projects of different states was launched.
First Session:
Chairperson: Mohamed
Saeed Nasir, Director General, Ministry of Engineering Affairs.
Two papers
were presented as follows:
1. The Role of Volunteers
in the Operation and Maintenance of Water Services.
The paper stated that the strategy of WES is to involve community
voluntary participation in the programme and activities of WES through
continuous meetings aiming to develop concepts and attitudes of community
participation that reflects the main beneficiaries who concerned with and
interested in sustainability. It highlighted the voluntary work provided by WES
Units and VHC, where more than 70% of people working in WES Khartoum are
volunteers and at the Mahalia level 50% of WES Units’ members are volunteers.
At the village level VHC is 100% volunteers.
2. The Role of
Village Health Committee in Sustaining WES Services.
Ms. Eiman Hago,
Social Mobilizer, WES Blue Nile State.
The Paper
explained the formulation of the VHC that includes 10 members who are elected
by their community. Five of them are females, as the project strategy involves
activation of women participation in development services. The VHC is
responsible for:
-
Linking the beneficiaries with WES units at the
Mahalia level.
-
Health and social awareness raising towards the
maximum use of
development services .
-
Capacity building to acquire skills on water and
environmental sanitation services.
-
Mobilization of available local resources to
contribute to sustainability of WES services.
-
To specify needs and health problems and convey it
immediately to the concerned authority at the state level through WES unit.
Second Session:
Chairperson: Ahmed
Mohamed Elehaimer, Director, Immunization Department, Ministry of Health.
Two papers were presented as follows:
1. Water – related diseases.
Elamin Ibrahim, Director, Environmental Health Department, Blue Nile
State.
The paper concentrated on the important link between water and health,
and it’s nutritional value. It mentioned different ways for water purification
and the high priority given to water conservation and protection against
contamination and pollution at the level of source, transportation, storage and
use. The paper discussed water borne diseases, water washed diseases, diseases
that transmitted by water vectors and water epidemics diseases.
2. Strengthening the Role of Community – based Organizations in Sustaining WES Services.
Eng. Ahmed Satti, WES Area Project Coordinator, Sinnar, Blue Nile
The paper highlighted the objectives and strategy of WES Projects and
raised vital issues to strengthen the role of State Government to insure
projects sustainability. It pointed out constructive measures to activate the
role of the community at the Mahalia and village levels and at the rural areas.
Final Session:
The final session was attended by H.E the Wali of Blue Nile State and
commissioner of Damazin Province.
The
recommendations were presented and adopted by the participants. Acknowledgement
was presented to Blue Nile State that win the competition of exhibition on the
States efforts in water and environmental sanitation.
Recommendations:
1. Fees for water to support and encourage voluntary work at the Mahalia
level to solve water and sanitation problems.
2. Exchange of knowledge and experience to and between local communities
for health awareness raising and water related diseases control.
3. Coordination between Ministry of Planning and Public Utilities, Ministry
of Health and Mahalias to provide
financial support for water and sanitation services.
4. State Government fulfillment of it’s commitment stated in the annual
project plan.
5. WES project adoption of additional options to solve water problems in
some areas on the state that depend on Hafirs as source for drinking water.
6. Activation of water and health staff in the Mahalia to work in the
project unit, and the Mahalias are requested to include funds for that in it’s
annual budget.
7. Local fund raising at the community level targeting charity sources and
volunteers in order to implement different project activities.