Dig Deep Africa, in collaboration with the County Government of Bomet, has launched a Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Hub designed to facilitate learning and collaboration in the sector.
During the launch, Justus Tanui, Dig Deep Africa’s Head of Programmes, highlighted the hub’s purpose as a centralized platform for partners to share ideas and analyze data for the effective implementation of WASH projects in Bomet County.
“The main aim of the hub is to ensure that we have a one-stop shop for WASH project implementation in the county. With partners coming together, the county can alleviate some of the workload,” Tanui explained.
Tanui also emphasized Dig Deep Africa’s achievements, including spring protection and rainwater harvesting in schools in Chepalungu and lower Bomet East regions.
“We also aim to venture into rainwater collection at tea-buying centers in tea-growing areas,” he added.
Bomet County Governor Hillary Barchok noted that the ICT-enabled hub would facilitate virtual meetings with stakeholders globally, saving time and travel costs.
“The powerful ICT equipment installed in this hub will enable us to conduct meetings and training sessions with our international partners, significantly enhancing capacity building in the sector,” Barchok stated.
Ben Skelton, Chief Executive Officer of Dig Deep Africa, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to ensuring clean water, safe sanitation, and good hygiene for all.
“In 2022, we launched the Bomet WASH Masterplan with the county government, setting a roadmap for universal access to these essential services by 2050 for $398 million (Sh47 billion),” Skelton said.
He identified key barriers to achieving WASH goals, such as lack of coordination, data deficiencies, and the need for more training.
Skelton expressed his excitement about the new hub, which will enhance coordination among partners, share crucial data, and provide training, especially to women working in water and sanitation sectors.
“This Hub is for everyone in the WASH sector to accelerate our goal of reaching every person in this county with vital services,” he added.
Dig Deep’s WASH System Lead Joe Hook highlighted the hub’s potential to attract resources and build capacity among partners and county staff.
“The hub will enable communication across Kenya and internationally, allowing us to bring in experts to train our professionals and decision-makers,” Hook said adding, “It will also help us secure funding and resources to build capacity across various departments.”
Nicky Ronoh, Dig Deep Africa Project Officer, noted that their Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project had declared 190 villages in Bomet County Open Defecation Free (ODF), with efforts underway to declare an additional 80 villages ODF.
“We also conduct post-ODF interventions to prevent relapses by promoting sustainable sanitation options,” Ronoh stated.
Joan Chemutai, Dig Deep (Africa) Programmes Manager, discussed the organization’s spring water protection program, which ensures clean water access by securing water sources, providing reserve tanks, and protecting the environment. “The purpose of the protection is to ensure the water is clean and accessible to everyone, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities,” Chemutai explained.
The organization has also been active in schools, providing improved toilet facilities and hygiene education.
“The girls’ toilets have bathrooms and sanitary towel disposal chambers, which have significantly increased school attendance among girls,” Chemutai added.
By Lamech Willy.A.
