| Project Detail |
Many cases of illness in the poor region of northern Mozambique are caused by the poor condition of water supplies and sanitation. The SDC is assisting the efforts of the local people and responsible authorities to improve the situation. Aim of the project: Better living conditions for half a million people – and less poverty.
Running drinking water available at every corner and closed toilets with flushes, connected to a sewerage system: What people in Switzerland take for granted is at best hearsay for many people in Mozambique. More than half the population does not have access to clean drinking water, and only 20% has access to adequate sanitation (as at: 2017). The consequences of this are frequently cholera and diarrhoeal diseases caused by contaminated water. In addition, women must – since providing for the family is one of their traditional tasks – walk for several hours a day to the next water point. This takes up valuable time which could be used for more productive activities – such as part-time work to raise the family income.
To improve this situation, in 2012 the SDC launched a ten-year project in Niassa Province, one of the poorest regions of the country. The province is three times larger than Switzerland and has a population of about 1.2 million. The project, which is being carried out in cooperation with provincial and district authorities and comprises a bundle of measures at three levels, will benefit approximately half a million people:
Supply: The responsible authorities are assisted in improving water and sanitation infrastructure.
Demand: The people learn to articulate their needs regarding water supply and sanitation to the responsible authorities and can effectively demand action in this respect.
Policy: The practical knowledge gained through the inclusion of citizens in the authorities’ planning and decision-making processes is reflected in policy at the provincial and national levels.
New handpumps and improved latrines
Specifically, during the first phase of the project (2012–17) over 200 water points were renovated or newly built. In many cases, simple handpumps were installed that are capable of providing 25 litres of water a day for up to 300 people (see photo). In addition, in many places traditional latrines – open trenches without covers or doors – were replaced with better facilities with covers, a roof and doors. The new facilities help reduce water contamination in the neighbourhood. Other advantages include improved hygiene and better protection against harassment, especially for girls and women – but also protection against other threats such as attacks by hyenas.
The impact of the project on the daily lives of the local people is described in the report of a villager from Malangalanga: «Before, the lake was used by the residents of my village as the common toilet at the same time as our children used it to bathe and collect drinking water. As a result, people were constantly suffering from diarrhoea and other such illnesses. They frequently had to go to hospital. Together with other villagers, I founded an action group and we went from house to house to explain the importance of latrines to the residents. Thanks to the support of the authorities, we were able to equip every house with a latrine within six months. Since then the problem of diarrhoea has disappeared.»
To ensure that the new or renovated infrastructures remain in working order over the long term, local tradespeople have been trained within the framework of the project in the construction and maintenance of these facilities. In addition, cooperatives for tradespeople have been launched to take care of maintenance for the local authorities at seven different places. In this way their members are able to have another source of income – which in the poor northern part of Mozambique is a welcome bonus.
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