A non-governmental organisation in water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, Hygiene Village Project, has introduced a project that discourages communities to defecate in the bush as one way of preventing water and food borne diseases such as cholera.
Hygiene Village Project, Programmes Officer, Ernest Maganga said defecating in the bush has high chances of spreading water and food borne diseases.
Maganga made the appeal in Zomba during a District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting when Hygiene Village Project was introducing new project in Zomba called Emergency WASH Response.
He said Hygiene Village Project decided to implement Emergency WASH Response in Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba after observing that Tropical Cyclone Freddy induced rains destroyed most WASH facilities such as boreholes and latrines.
The Programme Officer added that Emergency WASH Response will encourage communities in Traditional Authority Mwambo to construct and consistently use latrines and adhere to other hygiene practices to avoid water and food borne diseases.
“We will work with media, communities and will encourage them to stop defecating in the bush and we’re sure this will eventually help in preventing cholera outbreak” Maganga said, adding that Hygiene Village Project will work with community level development structures such as Area Development Committees and Village Development Committees at Traditional Authority Mwambo to ensure sustainability of the WASH intervention.
After explaining goals and objectives of Emergency WASH Response to the Zomba Council DEC, Hygiene Village Project was given a go ahead to implement the project at Mwambo area.
Maganga thanked Zomba Council DEC for accepting the WASH intervention at Traditional Authority Mwambo where Hygiene Village Project will also rehabilitate boreholes, do water testing and chlorination in the course of implementing the project.
“We want to improve and promote hygiene practices so that communities should adhere to good hygiene practices,” he added.
Zomba District Council, Director of Planning and Development, Precious Kantsitsi hailed Hygiene Village Project for introducing Emergency WASH Response in the district.
He called on the organisation to work with community level development structures to ensure sustainability of WASH in the impact area of Traditional Authority Mwambo.
Kantsitsi also called on Hygiene Village Project to ensure transparency and accountability in the course of implementing Emergency WASH Response.
Chairperson of Zomba Civil Society Organisations Network, Nicholas Mwisama also welcomed Hygiene Village Project in Zomba saying implementation of the project will improve WASH coverage in the district.
Hygiene Village Project is implementing Emergency WASH Response in four (4) Highly Affected Districts Zomba, Chikwawa, Phalombe and Mulanje with funding from UNICEF.
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