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Nzickonan Stéphanie
Water Quality Control: AfWA strengthens metrology capacities of water utilities' laboratory technicians
The Société d'Exploitation des Eaux du Niger (SEEN) hosted from 29 to 31 January 2019, a workshop to strengthen the capacities of laboratory technicians of water utilities in metrology. Initiated by the African Water Association (AfWA) as part of the USAID-funded AfriCap program, this workshop aimed to strengthen the theoretical and practical capacities of laboratory technicians in measurement. A total of forty participants from eleven water utilities in nine African countries, members of AfWA, took part in the training.
At the opening of the meeting, the representative of AfWA’s Executive Director, Dr Siméon Kenfack, Director of Programmes of AfWA, thanked the Société de Patrimoine des Eaux de Niger (SPEN) and SEEN for their involvement in the organization of the meeting. He then recalled that AfWA attaches great importance to improving the performance of its members in order to provide quality services to the population, hence the many training courses it organizes with the support of its partners. For his part, the Managing Director of SPEN, Mr Hamed Haidara Ag Elgafi, on behalf of SPEN and SEEN, welcomed the choice of Niger to host the workshop's work. He welcomed and congratulated AfWA for all the actions carried out in Africa; then recalled that one of SEEN's priorities is to guarantee the quality of the water provided to the population. He said he expected a lot from this workshop because, SEEN is committed to raising its service and requirements, based on technological advances.
During the three days of the meeting, participants were instructed on the basics of metrology laboratories, balance calibration, volume metrology and characterization of climatic chambers. They have learned to calculate the calibration uncertainty of certain specific laboratory equipment, to manage compliance with measurement errors and uncertainties as well as equipment; the value of the metrological records of certain instruments has also been demonstrated to them. Finally, practical work in the laboratory and a visit to the water treatment plant were also carried out. *At the end of the workshop, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the training’s progress. They said their expectations were met because this meeting was an opportunity for them to share their knowledge but also to learn a lot from each other. They urge AfWA to continue this kind of meeting to improve the capacity of African water utilities’ staff to provide quality water to the population.
It should be noted that the Africap Program is a USAID-funded capacity building program for the African Water Association. It takes place in two (02) axes. First at the level of the Executive Office staff, in order to improve the governance of the institution and the services provided to members; second, to set up a knowledge management and sharing platform, and third at the level of the water companies' laboratories in order to strengthen their operational capacity for better water quality management.
National capitalization seminar of the National Sanitation Program Support Program (APNA)
ON Tuesday 18 December 2018, the Office National de l'Electricité et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE) and the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel) organised a national seminar to capitalise on the Support Programme for the National Sanitation Programme (APNA).
The opening of the seminar was chaired by Mr Abderrahim EL HAFIDI, Director General of ONEE and His Excellency Marc TRENTESEAU Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Morocco. This event was attended by representatives of the ministerial departments, the rural municipalities concerned by the project, donors and several organizations operating in the water and sanitation sector at the national and international levels. As a major player in the National Sanitation Programme (PNA), ONEE is strongly committed to the implementation of an ambitious liquid sanitation programme in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, the State Secretariat to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of the Economy and Finance.
To support the implementation of sanitation projects and as part of Phase I of European co-financing, an PNA support programme (APNA) was set up in 2013 by ONEE and its partners. This innovative programme includes the implementation, for the first time in Morocco, of an integrated communication and awareness-raising approach to support the implementation of sanitation projects in order to ensure the appropriation of these projects by the population and their sustainability.
The implementation of this communication program has led to an acceleration in the implementation of sanitation projects and consequently in the achievement of the PNA's objectives. Thus, the workshop provided an opportunity to report on progress and significant experiences and to exchange views on important aspects of the APNA programme implementation at the technical, financial and communication levels.
World Water Forum 2021: the world youth parliament for water on a youth mobilization tour
The next World Water Forum will be held in 2021 in Dakar, Senegal. Already, young people are working towards a very active participation. It is in this context that Mr. HISSEINE GANDA Ngagué, from the World Youth Parliament for Water, has started an African tour in order to mobilize youth associations for water for a large participation in this great event. His tour naturally led him to AfWA’s headquarters where he was welcomed by Mr Sylvain Usher, Executive Director of the Association, with some of his co-workers. In the exchanges they had, Mr HISSEINE GANDA expressed his satisfaction with the actions carried out by the AfWA with a view to involving young people in the debates on water. He expressed his wish to establish collaboration between AfWA and the World Youth Parliament for Water not only within the framework of the Dakar Forum but also in the future.
Mr. Usher welcomed the initiative taken by the World Youth Parliament for Water. He stressed the importance of mobilizing young people around water issues and their active participation in the meetings. That is why, he said, “AfWA encourages the creation of networks of young professionals and supports them in their actions. He promised to make a wide response to this invitation at the next AfWA'STC to be held in April 2019 in Rabat, Morocco, and then at the Association's Congress in 2020 in Kampala”.
5th International Faecal Sludge Management Conference : AFWA organizes the final evaluation workshop of the RASOP-Africa Programme
As a prelude to the 5th International Conference on Feacal Sludge Management to be held from 17 to 22 February 2019 in Durban, South Africa, AfWA is organizing from 15 to 16 February 2019 in Durban, the final evaluation workshop of the RASOP-Africa programme , " Reinforcing African Sanitation Operators through peer-to-peer learning partnerships”. This programme, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and implemented by AfWA since 2015, aims to support the implementation of autonomous sanitation and sludge management strategies in five African cities: Bamako (Mali), Yamoussoukro (Côte d'Ivoire), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Kampala (Uganda) and Lusaka (Zambia).
Thus, after three years of implementation, AfWA and the BMGF are bringing together in Durban, all stakeholders as well as current and potential partners to assess the implementation process of this project and draw lessons that could be used to improve the new investment’s implementation of its sanitation portfolio. The workshop’s objective is therefore to present, through a "market" approach, the results obtained within the framework of the RASOP-Africa project, including the difficulties encountered and lessons learned, by different groups of partners involved (mentors, mentees, AfWA project management team, drains); to present the new AfWA initiative on capacity building for inclusive sanitation at the city level funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a follow-up to the RASOP Africa project.
The Director of Programmes of AFWA, received in audience by the Director of Cabinet of the Nigerian Water and Sanitation Minister
In the margin of the training session for laboratory technicians of water utilities in metrology organized from 29 to 31 January 2019 in Niamey, Niger, by the African Water Association (AFWA) as part of the AfriCap programme funded by USAID, the Director of Programmes of AfWA, Dr Simeon Kenfack who represented AfWA’s Executive Director, had a high-level meeting with the ministerial officials of the two water utilities (Société de patrimoine de l’Eau du Niger (SPEN) and Société d'Exploitation des Eaux du Niger(SEEN)) in Niger. Initially planned to be chaired by the Minister of Water and Sanitation in his cabinet, it was finally under the chairmanship of his Director of Cabinet, Mr. Abdou Maliki that the said meeting was held on Thursday, January 31, 2019.
A part of the Director of cabinet, and Dr. Simeon Kenfack, the following attendance was observed: Mr. Attahirou Karbo Secretary General of the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Mr. Labo Madougou Director General of Sanitation, Mr. Chaibou Tankari, Managing Directeur of Hydraulics, Ms. Salifou Abdoulaye Fatou, Director of Human Resources in charge of Communication at SPEN, Mr. Akiné Atta Ibrahim, Director of Performance / Deputy Managing Director of SEEN, Mr Mohamadou Saddikou Director of the patrimony and Operational Control at SPEN, Mr Ali Amadou Issa advisor to the Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation,
The discussions focused on three main points, namely: - The presentation of the AfWA for a better knowledge of its actions - Presentations by both Managing Directors of Water and Sanitation, on the sector's specific challenges in Niger, including the development of the national sanitation policy. - The complaints of the two companies regarding their support by the relevant ministry for effective action, each in its own mandate.
At the end of this meeting, the Niger Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation has shown great interest in AFWA and would like to see the Association take more and more actions in favour of policy makers and regulators to be better known and to encourage requests from them. In the short term, this interest should be reflected in the participation of Nigerien delegates from the sectoral ministry at AfWA’s meetings (Scientific and Technical Council (STC) and congress). From the gender side, the only woman in the group, Ms. Abdoulaye Fatou, advocated for the promotion of gender in the water and sanitation sector in Niger and in this sense, a commitment was made by the Ministry and the two AfWA member utilities to work towards the establishment in Niger of a women's network for water and sanitation.
In short, it was on a note of general satisfaction that the guests took leave of their host, promising to see certain actions agreed during this meeting being undertaken in the short term. Thus, an appointment was made at the STC in Rabat, Morocco scheduled from 1 to 05 April 2019 for follow-up.
AFWA’ STC : The 81st AfWA’ Scientific and Technical Council's meeting will be held from 1 to 5 april 2019 in Rabat - Morocco
The 81st meeting and Exhibition of the African Water Association’ Scientific and Technical Council (STC) will take place from 1 to 5 April 2019 in Rabat, Morocco.
Therefore, AfWA invites its Members, partners, representatives of African governments and municipalities, as well as companies in the water, sanitation and environment sector, to save the date to participate in this meeting to discuss the strategic priorities of the water sector in Africa and to promote their products and services by participating in the exhibition.
20th AfWA International Congress and Exhibition: more than 2500 delegates and more than 100 exhibitors are expected from 24 to 27 February 2020
2500 delegates, 80 technical sessions, 800 presentations, the most beautiful and largest exhibition ever held in Africa, in the water and sanitation sector: this is the ambitious goal that the African Water Association (AfWA) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Uganda want to achieve during the 20th AfWA International Congress and Exhibition in Kampala, Uganda, from 24 to 27 February 2020. The information was given by Mr Mahmood Lutaaya, spokesman of the Local Organizing Committee, at the congress launch ceremony held in Kampala on 25 January 2019. Many AfWA partners, stakeholders and members, including the representative of the Vice-President of North Africa, Mr Mourad Ben Mansour, took part in the ceremony.
For Dr Rose Kaggwa, second President of AfWA and President of the Organising Committee, NWSC is pride to organise the Congress a second time, after the successful one held in 2010. She reminded that the objective of AfWA’s congresses is to bring together in one place all stakeholders in the water, sanitation and environment sector in Africa and elsewhere to discuss ways and means to improve access to these resources. The 20th congress will also be an opportunity to celebrate AfWA’s 40th anniversary. For this reason, she therefore invited the members of the local organizing committee to continue to do their best to ensure the success of these two events.
Young water and sanitation professionals also welcomed AfWA's awareness of their role and importance in the sector’s development. They committed to take an active part both in the organization and in the debates that will help to find solutions, and innovations, for drinking water and sanitation security in Africa.
In his turn, Mr Sylvain Usher, Executive Director of the Association, stressed that this 20th Congress is of particular importance because "it will be an opportunity to commemorate and celebrate in a remarkable way the forty years of existence of our Continental Institution at the service of water and sanitation. It will also mark a new beginning in implementing innovative solutions to strengthen water and sanitation actors' performance in Africa, hence the theme "breaking new grounds to accelerate access to water and sanitation for all"».
Dr Silver Mugisha, NWSC Managing Director, was very optimistic; this congress, he said, will be the most professional and the best in AfWA Congresses’ history. It will be rich, both in experiences to share and lessons to learn, to improve the water and sanitation sector in Africa.
It should be noted that AfWA’s congresses are coupled with an international exhibition of suppliers of goods and services in the water and sanitation sector. Thus, according to Mr Bruce Perroud, Managing Director of NGC, the company in charge of organising the exhibition, more than 100 companies representing more than 20 countries will participate in the exhibition, thus showing their interest in and support for AfWA’s actions.