LIBERIA, OUR EXPERTISE IN THE WASH SECTOR

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL’S ACHIEvEmENTS

EdITORIALLiberia is now clearly moving from Post-Emergency to Development. In the last few years, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has adapted its activities in the South East to address the needs of the region using the methodologies promoted by the Liberian Government.In term of Wash Infrastructures, some important work has been done by the authorities to develop technical guidelines for well construction. By following these guidelines, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL believes that the number of permanent water points will be increased thanks to standardization at national level.

The quality of our work is often recognized by the authorities and other agencies. Our South-East team was recently honored by the visit of H.E. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.Regarding Hygiene and Sanitation, the Government supports specific methods for Hygiene Promotion and Latrine Construction. Once again, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has been a pioneer in their implementation.

We are very proud of our results in CLTS, an educational approach to encourage people to build their own latrines, with no subsidies at all. We have developed a real expertise with participatory approaches and we have achieved good results despite the fact that other agencies are still providing subsidies. This proves that Hygiene Promotion messages are increasingly understood by rural communities, who are now convinced of the benefit of having latrines and good hygiene habits.This booklet aims to highlight some of our successes and achievements during recent programs (2010-2012) mainly in the South East. It is also to remind us of the great WASH challenges Liberia will still face in the coming years. Thanks to the commitment of our team members, we will be able to reach our objectives by the end of 2012; and I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of them.

The time for Emergency Agencies has ended. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will now step aside and make way for Development Agencies with long-term programs. We will do our best to hand over as much as we can in terms of knowledge, skills, achievements… and we are confident all governmental and non governmental agencies will do their best to continue improving the wash situation of Liberia. There is still a lot to do, but we do believe the country is on a good track.

JEROmE Head of Mission for Solidarités International, Liberia

KEY FIGURES OF LIBERIA :

OBJECTIvES OF THE BROCHURE:• Describe SOLIDARITÉS

INTERNATIONAL’s WASH activities in Liberia since 2004, and more specifically in South East Liberia.

• Present the main findings of an impact assessment carried out in July 2012 that provided some insights on lessons learned from the help provided; and recommendations on future help to be offered to cover the remaining needs.

• Show this information to all non-governmental and governmental agencies that might be involved in WASH aid in SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL aid areas after SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL’s departure in the coming months and lobby for such aid.. This brochure will be backed up by other technical documents detailing more precisely our expertise and experience.

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL IN LIBERIA

STRATEGY IN THE WASH SECTOR IN THE SOUTH EAST OF LIBERIA

ACCESS TO SAFE WATER IN THE SOUTH EAST, mARYLANd ANd GRANd KRU COUNTIES

ACCESS TO SANITATION IN THE SOUTH EAST, mARYLANd ANd GRANd KRU COUNTIES

EmERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAmmES IN GRANd GEdEH

CONCLUSION

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Publisher : A. Boinet | Editor-in-Chief : H. Quéau, B. Millet, F. MarchandEditorial Staff : C. Decorde, J. Morteau, M. D’Adamo, A.S. ArnouxPhotos courtesy of C. DecordeGraphic Design : S. Beutter | Printing : Cop’Image | January 2013

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL IN LIBERIA

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has been working in Liberia since December 2003. Various assessments have led to the conclusion that the 2 civil wars experienced by Liberians have contributed to the deterioration of hydraulic structures (destruction, theft...) but have also completely disorganized community structures in the country. Both rural and urban populations were directly affected by the fighting that went on until 2003.

Between December 2003 and September 2004, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL, with the support of ECHO and the French DAH, carried out an emergency program to build wells in Grand Bassa County (around the city of Buchanan) as well as hygiene promotion sessions in local communities. The Buchanan base was officially closed at the end of the program when the Harper base was opened.

From 2004 onwards, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has been funding water and sanitation programs in South-Eastern Liberia, focusing on remote areas, excluded from development efforts.

In Grand Kru and Maryland and, from 2012, in River Gee County, Solidarités acted as a member of the WASH consortium. Between 2006 and 2007 SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL carried out a food aid program in the Bong region on the Guinean border. Over the period 2008 to 2011, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL worked on improving food security in the Bong region through input distribution and the training of agricultural cooperatives.

In March 2011, following the influx of Ivorian refugees fleeing the political crisis in their country, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL started working in the Grand Gedeh county and began a Rapid Response to Population Movements program from the Zwedru base. In addition, part of this program also covered the area of Harper (Maryland). Since November 2011, a program to improve the living conditions of host communities has been set up in these two counties. Funded by ECHO, it includes WASH and Cash for Work projects. This program is currently coming to an end.

• 56yearsoflifeexpectancy(WHO2010)• Ranked182ndoutof187intheHumanDevelopmentIndex(UNDP2011)• 2civilwars(1989-1996&1999-2003)• 120000refugeesfromCôted’IvoireinJanuary2012(UNHCR)

Since2004,SOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALhasbuiltorreconditioned368waterpointsand1677latrinesinMarylandandGrandKruCounties.(Source:ImpactAssessmentoftheSOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALLiberiaWASHprogramsfortheperiod2010-2012).

CoordinationBaseOperationnalBase

Monrovia

Zwedru

Harper

Barclayville

L I B E R I A

3

CountrieswithSOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONAL’smissions

THE PRINCIPAL mINISITRIES INvOLvEd IN THE WASH SECTOR ARE THE FOLLOWINGS: • Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs (MoPEA)• Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy (MoLME) - inchargeofchemicalwatertesting• Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) - inchargeofruralhardware(andgeneralcoordination)• Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) - inchargeofcommunitymobilizationandhygienepromotion• Ministry of Education (MoE) and Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation - inchargeofurbanareas

The establishment of a sole “wash ministry” will improve coordination between the different actors and will disminish the possibility of gaps and overlapping responsibilities. The Government is currently working on this issue.

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL began its WASH programme in South-Eastern Liberia in 2004 in an emergency context. Projects were then strongly oriented towards helping returnees and in responding to cholera emergencies. 2007 could be considered as a turning point with the entry of SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL into the Liberia WASH Consortium. It was also a switch to a more post-emergency orientated approach with a more long-term perspective (funding over 3 years) including the training of hand-pump technicians at a community level, the introduction of a “cash-box system” from 2008, and a first CLTS (Community Led Total Sanitation) pilot project in 2009.

In 2010, following an impact assessment, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL programmes moved again towards a more community participatory approach, including strengthening spare part dealer networks, and concretely adopting the CLTS approach (non-subsidised latrines built by the communities) together with a greater focus on hygiene promotion.

The wash programme is currently entering its final phase with funding from ECHO secured until the end of 2012.

At a national level, Liberia is willing to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation (i.e. to reduce the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by half, by 2015). In order to address this issue, the Government of Liberia (GoL) joined the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) global partnership and the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion Committee (NWSHPC), led by the Ministry Of Public Works and her strategic Partners (including WaterAid, the WASH Consortium and UNICEF). These partnerships have led to the recent development of two key documents : the « Liberia WASH Compact » (2011/2013) and the « WASH Sector Strategic Plan – 2012-2017».

REdUCE THE PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION WITHOUT ACCESS TO SAFE WATER

The Liberia WASH Consortium is a group of five International N o n - G o v e r n m e n t a l Organizations - Action Contre la Faim, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam GB, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL and Tearfund, formed in early 2007. Supported through funding from DFID, ECHO, and Irish Aid, the consortium program has responded and continues to respond to the water, sanitation and hygiene needs of the Liberian population and the institutional capacity building needs of the Government of Liberia in the WASH sector.Working in partnership with local civil society partners and the Government of Liberia, the Consortium’s mission is to ensure that Liberia’s most vulnerable communities have improved access to safe water, to carry out improved sanitation and hygienic practices, to improve environmental conditions and the socio-economic skills required to manage and sustain these inputs. Currently working in 12 of the 15 counties in Liberia, the WASH Consortium and its partners are a key force in the sector focusing on the following 3 key strategic pillars: Service Delivery, Capacity Building and Advocacy and Communications.

WASH CONSORTIUm

‘’The4prioritiesdefinedintheLiberianWashCompact,anationalagreementandplanforwashinLiberiaforthenext5years,whichhasbeensignedbythePresident,are:toestablishandstrengtheninstitutionalcapacityforbettercoordinationinordertocreateasole“washministry”,toensureequityandprioritizedserviceprovision,todevelopamonitoringandevaluationsystem,andtoimprovesector-financingmechanismsinthewashsectorinordertostartawashpoolfundatanationallevelby2013.WearenowinadevelopmentstageinLiberia,andinaphaseofdecentralizationofpowertothedifferentcounties.MarylandandGrandKru,whereSOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALisworking,willbethelastcountiestoreceivetheresponsibilitiesduetotheirremotelocations“.

ESTABLISH ANd STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIESCHANTAL RICHEY, Water and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank.In Liberia for the past 6 years, the water and sanitation programme of the World Bank, was the part of the WASH consortium.

EmPHASIzE THE PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL activities in the South-East WELL LATRINES vIP PERIOd

New Rehab Total Adobe Public School : Fam. Fam. CLTS Fam. new & rehab New Rehab

2004-2006 Emergency 54 179 233 1013 15 0 0 0 0 programmes

2007-2009 Post-emergency 27 32 59 0 0 105 178 100 4 Programmes

2010-2012 Post-emergency 15 61 76 0 0 48 0 0 214 phase 2

TOTAL 96 272 368 1013 15 153 178 100 218

InKwedoken,theAfridedevhandpumpbuiltbySOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALgivessafewatertothewholevillage

STRATEGY IN THE WASH SECTOR OF SOUTH EAST LIBERIA

LIBERIAN NATIONAL STRATEGY IN WASH SECTOR

1SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY IN WASH SECTOR

4 5

ACCESS TO SAFE WATER IN THE SOUTH EAST, mARYLANd ANd GRANd KRU COUNTIES“SOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALgoesfarinveryremoteareasandit’sgood.”

M. WEAH Environmental supervisor

The Liberian Wash Compact provides that: “up to 20% of total funding for communal points should be set aside for a special no community left behind programme to address the needs of these remote areas with very low service (e.g. no water-points at all) and at least moderate population”.

74% of communities assessed have access to safe water

The rate of access to safe drinking water is estimated at 74% in the visited communities (according to the proposal indicators, i.e. max 250 pers / well; < 500m from water source). The coverage is 100% according to the Liberia Waterpoint Atlas definition (i.e.: population within 1.5 miles of a point).

2

Sampson,assistantprogrammemanager,ismonitoringthe

constructionofanewwellinaclinicinMarylandCounty

WELL dESIGNIn line with the Government guidelines, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL improved the design of the wells in recent years. The diameter of the wells was increased from 0.9m to 1.2m, which improves their sustainability (possibility to deepen the wells if needed in the future). With the use of soak-away pits, stagnant water in the vicinity of wells is avoided. The handpumps installed on the wells are Afridev type.

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL mETHOdOLOGY“A STRONg INvOLvEmENT IS NEEDED”

Before 2007, there was less involvement needed from the communities : SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL did not train a technician, and there was no cashbox system implemented. Today, when SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL builds a well, a high level of community participation is requested (i.e. 140 wheelbarrows of rock, 125 of sand). This strengthens the feeling of ownership and encourages people to maintain the wells. During a follow-up visit in July 2012, it was noted that 100% of the wells built by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL are working properly.

THE ONLY WAY TO mAKE THINGS WORK IS TO GET THE PEOPLE INvOLvEd IN THE WHOLE PROCESSExperience has shown that in villages where the cashbox system was not implemented or did not receive a great welcoming and involvement from the population, most of the pumps are not functioning well due to neglect or the need for spare parts.We also noticed that mobilization was more difficult in villages with a relatively large population.

Unlike most of the NGOs working in accessible areas, SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL, targets communities in very remote villages - which are therefore considered not to be in the “corridor of need”- with low population density, which are most often without access to safe water and/or sanitation and therefore have the most urgent needs.

THE COmmUNITY CASHBOX SYSTEm

When SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL arrives in a community to work on wash issues, they establish a Community Water Committee (CWC) and organize pump installation and the hygiene promotion sessions.This CWC, composed of participating members from the village, is in charge of the cashbox system: each month, money is collected amongst the community - generally up to LRD 10, (around $0.15) - to pay for pump maintenance and spare parts.

Giventhatmorethan80%ofhandpumpsinLiberiaareAfridevandthatsparepartsofotherpumpsarenotavailableatallinthearea,thiswasthebestoption.”CHANTAL RICHEy, WORLD BANK WATER SPECIALIST.

Eachmonth,eachhouseholdgivesLRD50forthecashbox.Wehavenoproblemcollectingthismoney,becauseeachfamilyisawareofitsimportancetomaintainthepump.Sofar,wehaveLRD600inthecashbox.“ELISABETH, VILLAGE OF GBEKEN, INCHARGEOfTHECASHBOx.

SOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALgaveusthiscashbox.Wecollectthemoneyrequiredforhandpumpmaintenance,evenifsofar,wehavenotmadeanyrepairs.”WILLIAM, VILLAGE OF GENWEIN, MEMBER OF THE CWC.

ThecashboxgivenbySOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONAL,withtheestablishmentoftheCommunityWaterCommittee(CWC).Genwein,GrandKruCounty.

AwomantakingwaterfromaafridevpumpinthevillageofGewloken,

MarylandCounty.

SAFE WATER ACCESS: WELL CONSTRUCTION

MATTHEW,VILLAGEOfGBEKEN,CHAIRMANOfTHECWC“WE hAvE A pROpER WELL”“Before, there was no water in the village and no other NGO did

anything here, even if they came to ask what our needs were. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has changed our lives : they came in 2011, asked what we needed, and after saying “we will try”, they built one well and brought safe water to us! We had to take part in the construction of the well, we carried the material all the way from the city (4 hours walk). Now we have a proper well, we clean it, we use it to drink, cook, and there are much fewer cases of diarrhea. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL delivered some HP sessions here too, explaining what is good and what is not in terms of behavior, so now we know what to do to keep the water clean. The CWC meets every week, and ensures that the pump has been cleaned correctly and that it is working properly. We also have a cashbox system in case the pump needs to be fixed, but so far, we haven’t needed it. We are involved in this programme”.

SOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONAListheonlyNGOcomingtoustomakeaprogramme.”MATTHEW,

6 7

HANdPUmPS mAINTENANCE

100% of the wells assessed are working

A follow-up visit in July 2012 showed that wells are more sustainable and easy to maintain than boreholes : 100% of the wells are working properly, compared with only 28,57% of the boreholes, (mainly due to a problem of installing handpump or of the borehole itself).

HANdPUmP TECHNICIAN TRAINING:In order to face the difficulties of handpump maintenance, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is training technicians at the community level. This training is essential to ensure water access sustainability, especially in remote communities. Indeed, it’s more difficult for them to call for an external technician, so this training brings autonomy to the community. However, a challenge remains as the trained people are mainly young men who are more likely to leave the village to find a job outside. In response to this issue, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has trained 2 technicians per community. Sometimes, however, this is not enough.

DAVIDYJONES,MASTERPUMPTECHNICIANINHARPERDISTRICT“ThE COmmuNITIES bOughT ThE SpARE pARTS WITh ThE mONEy COLLECTED IN ThEIR CAShbOx”“I was a pump operator before in Karloway, and I was trained by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL in June 2011. Then I became a Master Pump Technician for them. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL gave me a bicycle and some tools. If I face some problems with the maintenance, I call SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL and they help me out. In 6 months, I fixed 15 pumps : the communities bought the spare parts with the money collected in their cashbox. I think the system is working, but I’d like to have more training, and there should be more master pump technicians too to cover the whole area and the remote places. The main problem I face is distance and accessb : because of the remoteness of the villages, it can be a very long trip and take too much time. The main challenges they are facing are transport constraints. As there is only one MPT per district, technicians sometimes have to travel significant distances to access communities. They often go twice to the same villages, once for examination and then to carry out repairs, as they do not carry all the spare parts with them.

THE mASTER PUmP TECHNICIANSAt county level, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has trained 8 people as “Master Pump Technicians” (MPT) in each of the District of Maryland and Grand Kru. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has provided them with in-depth training, a complete toolbox and a bicycle. MPT are “volunteers” and not remunerated by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL . In accordance with the leaflet given to the communities, “the town or community people will pay for the work that they do” and “they will discuss with each community about the conditions and the prices of their services”. It has been established that the MPT will charge the community between LRD 250 and LRD 1000 (or gifts in kind). SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has not directly intervened but we strongly believe it is necessary that an economic model be able to grow regarding pump maintenance. Otherwise, the MPT will take any opportunity for a better job and the skills and knowledge will get lost.

mOPW ANd UNICEF PILOT PROJECTIn Maryland County, the MoPw also set up a depot in Karloken as part of a pilot project funded by UNICEF. They provided the shopkeeper with a complete stock of spare parts ; even a cylinder valued at USD 150. (He still operates with the initial stock). The shopkeeper says he is frequently monitored by the Ministry and says he respects the selling price suggested by them.

Somespareparts:aU-Seal,abushbearingandafootvalve.

SAMTREGLOWL,WASHSPECIALISTATUNICEf“ThE COmmuNITIES-BASEd CASHBOX SYSTEm mIGHT BE THE SOLuTION.”“In 2011 December, we started a pilot project in Kerloken together with the MoPW, a capacity building program aimed at strengthening national capacities. We work together on CLTS, handpump maintenance, master pump technicians and the spare parts system; our spare parts depot, based in Kerloken, is monitored by the MoPW, which re-supplies the shop when the initial stock runs out. So far, it is working. Regarding the statute of master pump technicians, I don’t think we should pay them: the community-based cashbox system might be the solution. We also have the idea for the master pump technician to be the same person as the spare parts shop dealer, in order for the system to be more simple”

LAWRENCEV.CLARK,WASHCOORDINATORfORTHEMINISTRYOfPUBLICWORKSINHARPERDISTRICT“IT IS A vOLuNTEER jOb”“There are 3 master pump technicians that we have trained and who are responsible for the maintenance of the pumps in Maryland. They are given motorbikes and fuel to facilitate their monitoring, but they are not paid : it is a volunteer job. We monitor the master pump technicians’ work and also the construction carried out by NGOs, such as wells and pumps. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is doing a very good job in the Wash sector, and we would like them to do more.”

NIMERYASSINE,SHOPOWNERINHARPER“u-SEAL AND O-RINgS ARE THE mOST DEmANDED pIECES”“I only have two kinds of spare parts in my shop: the U seal and the O ring. Some communities’ technicians already came to buy these spare parts: they are the most demanded pieces. I have my own supplier in Monrovia, but sometimes, with the road conditions, it is very difficult to get deliveries, and I don’t always have these spare parts available. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL gave me a list with the prices, but it was 3 years ago and the prices have changed so I have to increase the prices”

DANIELJONES,MASTERPUMPTECHNICIANINHARPERDISTRICT“IT CAN bE A vERy LONg TRIp TO gO TO COmmuNITIES”“I started in 2011. I was trained by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL , first at community level, then the commissioner recommended me at county level. The Ministry of Public Works monitors my work, and I have to make reports to SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL whenever I intervene. Although it is a volunteer position, I am sometimes paid by the communities, or given a gift, because it can be a very long trip to go to the villages. Now I can’t do this anymore, because I need money to live, so I don’t repair pumps located in villages located more than 2 hours away.”

RANDOLPHC.WESSEx,SHOPOWNERINKARLOKEN,“A LOT Of pEOpLE hAvE ALREADy CAmE”“I have been a spare parts dealer for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL for a year. After SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL gave me an initial stock of spare parts, I bought more stock from my supplier in Monrovia. A lot of people have already come to buy U seals and O rings.”

GEORGES,VILLAGEOfKWIDOKENCOMMUNITYTECHNICIAN“I’m vERy INvOLvED”“I am a volunteer technician in my village CWC. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL staff have trained me. I am also a member of the General Committee of Hygiene Volunteers (GCHV) established by the MoPW. Since 2005, I have already fixed the pump 3 times: I managed to buy the spare parts, although they can sometimes be difficult to find. We are 2 technicians in the village, in case one of us is busy doing something else. I’m very committed to this volunteer position, but I would like to have more training. I have no other job so far”.

“EvEN ThE mOPW REFERS TO SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL DEpOTS”According to master pump operators and spare parts sellers, the most common breakdown comes from U-Seal spare parts. Then, there are O-rings, bobbins and bearings problems. This means that if there is no installation/construction problem, handpumps can quite easily be repaired by the community. When the pump has been installed, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL provides the CWC with one U-Seal and one O-ring.The spare parts supply chain implemented by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has increased the availability of Afridev spare parts in both counties. Indeed, in Grand Kru County, the depots set up and initially supplied by SI are currently the only spare parts shops around. Even the mopW uses SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL depots. A private shop in maryland CountyThese shops are quite well known by the communities, humanitarian agencies and local authorities. These shops have been selected because they are frequently supplied from Monrovia. However, it seems that this business is not profitable enough. Without encouragement or help from NGOs, the shops are sometimes reluctant to restock with spare parts. Once again, this highlights the challenges of building a sustainable economy around pump maintenance.

AmemberofSOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONALtrainingthecommunity

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ACCESS TO SANITATION IN THE SOUTH EAST, mARYLANd ANd GRANd KRU COUNTIES3“Changing hygiene behaviour takes a long of time”Achievement of the millennium Development goals on sanitation remains a challenge in Liberia. government objectives have in fact recently been revised downwards. Liberia adopted targets of 56% for improved sanitation as its national sector targets. Nationally, 18% of the population has access to sanitation , but the level drops to 7% in rural areas. Incidence is even lower in remote areas of the South-East (less than 5%). In communities advised by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL, incidence is estimated at 25.3%, taking into consideration the shared latrines. The level is 16.1% if improved family latrines are taken into account. Thus, incidence remains relatively low, although in general results are encouraging, given the fact that 75% of the visited communities had no access at all to sanitation facilities before the SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL project. pre-existing latrines were all partially or completely subsidized. Changing hygiene behaviour takes a long time (in contrast to water access).

THE CLTS mETHOdOLOGY

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL mETHOdOLOGYFollowing the pilot project led by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL in 2009, we were convinced by the CLTS approach. During the last three years we have developed important knowledge and expertise in this methodology, making SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL one of the leading CLTS experts in Liberia. The CLTS approach is systematically combined with PHAST methodology, thereby enhancing project impact People clearly make the link between sanitation and waterborne diseases.

COmmUNITY LEd TOTAL SANITATION (CLTS)CLTS FOCUSES ON CHANGE OF BEHAvIORS

CLTS is an innovative methodology for mobilizing communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD) and therefore become ODF (open defecation free).

At the heart of CLTS lies the recognition that merely providing toilets does not guarantee their use, nor result in improved sanitation and hygiene. Earlier approaches to sanitation prescribed high initial standards and offered subsidies as an incentive. But this often led to uneven adoption, problems with long-term sustainability and only partial use. It also created a culture of dependence on subsidies. Open defecation and the cycle of fecal-oral contamination continued to spread disease.In contrast, CLTS focuses on changes of behavior needed to ensure real and sustainable improvements. By raising awareness that as long as even a minority continues to defecate in the open everyone is at risk of disease, CLTS triggers the community’s desire for change, propels them into action and encourages innovation, mutual support and appropriate local solutions, thus leading to greater ownership and sustainability.http://www.communityledtotalsanitation.org/

CHANTALRICHEY,WATERANDSANITATIONSPECIALISTATTHEWORLDBANK“IT mAkES pEOpLE REALIzE by ThEmSELvES WhAT IS gOOD”“The CLTS approach, even if it is a long term program, is the sole wash strategy in Liberia, because it makes people realize by themselves what is good for them. CLTS approach is in accordance with the Government of Liberia recommendations and national policy and appears to be the most appropriate to current context and needs. This approach takes more time and effort but is more sustainable. Thanks to encouraging results, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL strongly believe that this could be a solution to address the needs of sanitation in the country rural areas.”

DANIELHWEAH,COUNTYHEALTHTEAM(CHT)OfMARYLAND(ANSWERABLETOTHEMINISTRYOfHEALTH)“TO bE IN ACCORDANCE WITh ThE NATIONAL guIDELINES”“In the wash sector, the ministry of health is responsible for the “soft”: latrines, CLTS, hygiene promotion and quality of water, and NGOs are helping us; we regulate their activities, and ask them to deliver only one message, for instance, using only CLTS methodology, to be in accordance with the national guidelines. The CHT has trained a committee of 24 hygiene promotion volunteers in Maryland county, the GCHV (General committee of hygiene volunteers), who are the liaison between the ministries and the communities. We recorded 91 cases of diarrhoea during the past 3 months in Harper district, but nobody died of it.”

VILLAGEOfKWIDOKEN,CHAIRMANOfTHECWC“WE bEgAN TO buILD OuR OWN LATRINES”“SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL came in 2005 and built subsidized latrines. But now they have collapsed. When they came again in 2001 and asked us if we were interested by the CLTS methodology, we refused because we wanted “hard” latrines, with zinc, and another NGO was building such latrines close by in another villag ; so, as we did not have the appropriate materials, we hoped to have them start a programme here. But they didn’t do it here. So finally, we began to build our own latrines. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL did hygiene promotion and built a well though, so we do have safe water.”

We noticed during our assessments that CLTS gives better results in communities that never benefited from subsidies in previous sanitation programs. Indeed, for the communities where NGOs used to build VIP type latrines, CLTS is seen as a regression. However, experience proved that subsidized latrines do not give any feeling of ownership and are barely used or maintained.The example of Kwidoken village is an interesting one: In 2005, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL subsidized adobe latrines, which have now all collapsed. In 2011, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL tried to introduce the CLTS approach. The community refused because they were hoping to be provided with concrete slabs or zinc for the roof. No NGOs (including SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL) reacted positively to their request.It is interesting to note that some households started to build their latrines their own way. This proves that the hygiene promotion messages given by SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL in 2005 hit home. The community was convinced by the need for latrines and of their positive impact. However, without advice and monitoring, the latrines built were unhygienic (smell, no cover, no hand-washing facility).

GEORGEYARNGO,MINISTERASSISTANT,MINISTRYOfPUBLICWORK,MONROVIA“CLTS IS NOT ONLy SANITATION, IT IS AN ENTRy TO ThE COmmuNITIES”“In the wash compact, national guidelines recommend the CLTS approach in sanitation: it is a national strategy, a long-term objective for communities. Today, there are still some NGO subsidies for latrines and there shouldn’t be, except in schools where appropriate. We rely on the NGOs to support the process, it is very important for us. So far, the work SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has done is very good. For the CLTS, there is a national coordination unit with ministry of health and national facilitators. CLTS is not only sanitation, it is an entry to the communities. We have a new program in partnership with Unicef in Maryland; it s a pilot project. I am aware of the lack of resources of our national authorities, but we are improving and it is a long-term process.”

Ayoungmanfromofinfrontofthelatrinesbuiltbythecommunity,

accordingtotheCLTSmethodologyprovidedbySolidaritesInternational.

Otiken,GrandKruCounty.

Osbourne,amemberorSolidaritésInternational,isdeliveringkey

messagesduringahygienepromotionsession.Gweplukan,GrandKruCounty

Latrinesbeingbuiltbythecommunity.Kwedoken,MarylandCounty

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FINAL OBJECTIvE : OPEN DEfECATION fREE (ODf)

ACCESS TO HYGIENE: THE CHAST mETHOdOLOGY

The aim of CLTS is to completely eliminate open defecation in a community, which then becomes an ODf (open defecation free) village.

GEORGEYARNGO,MINISTERASSISTANT,MINISTRYOfPUBLICWORK,MONROVIA“Regarding “ODF” (Open Defecation Free), the main issue is that there is no more defecation in the open , but only in the latrines. But there are other criteria : 1 latrine per household, washing hands, animals, cattle to be fenced in in the villages, garbage management, a place to hang laundry. When a community is declared ODF, we go back for another visit 3 months later, and then, we deliver a certificate and organize a celebration.”According to these criteria, the community of Otiken is well set to become ODF.

SWEETIE,HYGIENEPROMOTEROfSOLIDARITÉSINTERNATIONAL,BARCLAYVILLE“THE METHOD IS UNDERSTOOD By PEOPLE”“I have been a Hygiene promoter at SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL for 3 months. I really throw myself into this job, because you can see the hygiene behavior changing, and we can see that the method is understood by people. We already see that villagers don’t use creek water anymore. It takes 3 months to develop a PHAST session. We visit the communities approximately 10 times. Afterwards, we deliver a PHAST certificate for the village to have. Today, in the village of Grupulken, we are doing steps 2, 3 and 4 :analysis of good and bad behavior, research into community habits using a pocket chart, and showing how diseases spread. As you can see, we teach while having fun, so that it’s not too boring: we sing songs, everybody gets involved in the process, they speak about what they have just learned, they discuss between themselves: It raises their interest.”

OSBOURNE,INCHARGEOfTHEHYGIENEPROMOTERS,BARCLAYVILLE“A STRONG MOTIVATION”“I love this job. I love to see the people learn while having fun. What you need to make the whole process works is a strong motivation, because it might take some time and you sometimes have to repeat few times the same things. But when you see the results, that there are no more diarrhoea cases, or that people are singing the “love song” when you arrive in a village, you feel very happy and proud of what you achieved.”

SAMPSON,ASSISTANTPROGRAMMEMANAGER,HARPER

“To implement CLTS, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL buys the “hard” material (cement for instance). The communities provide the timber and the sand, and the inhabitants bring it all to their village. They dig and build the latrines. The design of the latrines is not dictated by national guidelines. usually, they build 2 rooms (1 for men, 1 for women) and cover them. At this stage our team checks the construction work to ensure everything is done according to the CLTS criteria. It takes a long time: first persuading the communities to accept the methodology, then finding the material and making the latrines. Sometimes we go to villages 4 times a month before really starting! It takes a long time to change sanitation behavior, but it ‘s worth it if afterwards Liberian people no longer suffer from water-borne diseases.”

DOMINIqUE,OTIKENVILLAGE“BEFORE, WE HAD NOTHING, NO LATRINES, NO SAFE WATER”“I would like, in the name of the youth of this village, to thank you because our lives have been changed: today, even small little girls ask for the keys to go to latrines. Before, we used to defecate in the bush and there was more diarrhoea. Before, we had nothing, no latrines, no safe water. Today, we have one latrine per household, and even if we do have termite problems, we try to chase them away by making fires in the latrines, as we do in our own houses. And we now have one latrine per household and nobody defecates in the bush anymore. We have learned to wash our hands very often, to have proper water storage, to drink safe water. Life is better thanks to SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL.”

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL believes that ODF should be a kind of label granted by authorities after proper assessment and evaluation done by them or an independent expert. However, the lack of resources in the local offices does not permit this yet. We hope that future development programs will help the government in that regard.

Latrines durability :Latrine maintenance is a big challenge, especially for villages in areas affected by termites. 6 months of rainy season often cause major damage to the structure. The sense of ownership leads households to invest in latrine maintenance and improvement. Those who can afford it often add a zinc roof or a concrete slab.

Gbeken is a good example of a community that «took the lead». There has been no new construction since the end of the SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL project, but existing latrines have already been improved in order to make them more durable. In this community, 100% of the latrines are equipped with a cover and most of them have functional hand-washing facilities. Some families have started to replace walls and roofs (made with local material) with zinc sheeting.

SOLIdARITéS INTERNATIONAL mETHOdOLOGYFor hygiene promotion, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL uses the PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation) methodology.

THE PARTICIPATORY HYGIENE ANd SANITATION TRANSfORmATION (phAST)The PHAST approach aims to improve hygiene behavior in order to reduce diarrheal disease and encourage effective community management of water and sanitation services.PHAST is based on the principle that the participation of communities in their own projects will empower the community and improve its decision making about the services it needs and wants to maintain.There are seven steps using participatory tools, from problem identification and analysis to planning and selection of appropriate solutions. These solutions may include both construction and management of new physical facilities as well as adoption of safer individual and collective changes in behavior.

Some advantages of the PHAST approach:• Involving the communities in their project planning

and implementation• Effective involvement of the community in monitoring

and evaluation• Training community workers in participatory techniques

Some disadvantages of the PHAST approach:• Requires in-depth training• The identification and selection of the community

workers are crucial• The PHAST tools are relatively time intensive• Requires an intensive management structure.

Hygienepromotionsession,step2ofthePHASTmethodology.Awomanisdecidingwhetherabehaviourishygienicornot.Gweplukan,GrandKruCounty

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COmmUNITY EmPOWERmENT THROUGH PARTICIPATORY APPROACH

march - july 2011 First assessments showned that around 50% of the refugees were not going in camps but were being hosted by Liberian communities. For this reason, along the Janzon axis, a combined approach has been taken, based on addressing the needs of both vulnerable Liberian households and Ivorian refugees, reaching a total population of around 4.000 people. The activities have been focusing on improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities by means of water trucking and emergency latrines construction. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL also launched a massive hygiene promotion campaign and distributed NFI.

july - November 2011A second phase of activities began in Grand Gedeh at the beginning of July2011 owing to the increasing tensions in Ivory Coast and the continuing influx of refugees. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL started an additional emergency program to support almost 29.000 people, based on water (well refurbishment and repair on the Zwedru area and Janzon axes and using water trucking units in Janzon), hygiene promotion activities and distribution of NFI kits on the Janzon and Polar axes and distribution of Hygiene Kits on the Polar axis.

1ST PHASE

2Nd PHASE

EmERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAmmES IN GRANd GEdEH4

Deplacedpeoplebeingregistred.Zwedru,GrandGedehCounty.

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C O N C L U S I O N

Over the years, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL methodology has evolved from an emergency approach to a more post emergency-oriented approach. In recent years,

SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has also focused on remote areas, excluded from development efforts. Overall, since 2004, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has built or rehabilitated 368 water points in Maryland and Grand Kru Counties and 1677 latrines. The impact assessment conducted in July 2012, was the opportunity to present an overview of the WASH situation in South East Liberia. Amongst the key findings that have been presented throughout this booklet, we note the following :

• The rate of access to safe water (estimated) increased from 0% to 89.3% in the communities involved in the 2010-2012 projects in South East Liberia.

• The participation of beneficiaries in wells construction, training of hand-pump technicians and implementation of a cash-box system has dramatically increased the sustainability of WASH facilities.

• Subsidized latrines are not properly maintained or duplicated.

• Latrines maintenance remains the major difficulty (termites affected area and pronounced rainy season).

• Hand-pump breakdowns can often be repaired by the community’s technician.

• The CLTS approach has a good impact in the communities that have not previously received subsidized latrines, with coverage rising from 0% to 46.4%. But CLTS is difficult to implement in communities that have previously received assistance. They tend to refuse this methodology.

As it is time for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL to leave Liberia, we would like to transfer our knowledge, technical skills and results to all other WASH actors in

the country. This includes International as well as national NGOs and of course local authorities such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Works. In order to make this handover possible, we developed a complete handbook including all our methodologies, guidelines and tools; and also specified documents, reports and data regarding our achievements. This handbook will be widely spread amongst the WASH community in Liberia. We hope South East WASH actors, as well as others, will find in it some useful information, ideas and even help to achieve their own programs in a spirit of continuity for the benefit of the

rural communities. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL believes in Participatory Approaches, like CLTS. Eight years of experience in the country shows us that Hygiene Promotions Messages are increasingly assimilated by the rural communities who are in need of water and sanitation solutions. When they can afford it, they even try to develop those solutions by themselves (hand pump maintenance, latrine improvement or construction…). A social economy to address those needs is possible. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has tried very hard to deliver high quality solutions, both in hard and soft WASH. We also tried to make it as sustainable as possible. We are confident that development actors, together with the Government of Liberia, will be able to move forward.

Since the beginning of the Ivorian crisis in late 2010, many people crossed the border between Liberia and Ivory Coast and sought refuge in grand gedeh County. In order to respond to the crisis, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL opened a base in zwedru and provided support to both vulnerable Liberian households and Ivorian refugees in an action programme that was carried out in three main phases.

November 2011 - September 2012The third phase of action began in November 2011 when, following the gradual stabilization of the Ivorian civil war and the consequent reduction in population displacement along the border, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL moved from an emergency approach to a post-emergency one. In order to deliver a full package of WASH activities SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL ended water and sanitation and hygiene promotion activities on the Janzon and Gbarzon axes (well construction and refurbishment, school latrines construction, Hygiene promotion using the PHAST approach, CLTS) Previously, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL had carried out Cash for Work projects on the Polar axis (roads and bridge refurbishment).Despite the program not being yet completed, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL estimates that the total number of beneficiaries of this program will be about 30.000 persons.As of September 2012 SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL believes that there are still needs in Grand Gedeh as regards WASH issues. However, it seems to us that development programs based on long-term strategies are now more suitable for addressing those needs. Being an emergency agency, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will be ending its humanitarian activities in Grand Gedeh at the end of September 2012 and close its office in Zwedru. Before doing so, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL will ensure that all the technical information about its program is transmitted to the relevant agencies present in the area. This includes the Liberian authorities involved in WASH, local authorities, Liberian and International NGOs.

3Rd PHASE

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50 RUE KLOCK | 92110 CLIChy | FRANCE(+33) 1 80 21 05 05 | info@solidarites.org | www.solidarites.org

T H A N K S p a r t n e r s

Improving the WASH situation in Liberia is a team work.To our partners in the field

(ASCO, The WASH Consortium, the Government of Liberia)and to our donors

(UNICEF, European Union, and mainly ECHO),we would like to say THANK yOU

for your support and your trust since 2004.

“ThIS DOCumENT hAS bEEN pRODuCED WITh ThE fINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Of ThE EuROpEAN COmmISSION. ThE vIEWS ExpRESSED hEREIN ShOuLD NOT bE TAkEN, IN ANy WAy, TO REfLECT ThE OffICIAL OpINION Of ThE EuROpEAN COmmISSION.”