A five day training program on monitoring access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) was launched on Global Handwashing Day in Wewak.
The training is being provided to local officials and data collectors by WaterAid to enable them to conduct a survey on current access to water and sanitation in Wewak District and to provide a baseline to guide planning for public services.
The data will be used to draft a five year district WaSH plan, which the District Development Authority (DDA) aims to launch by Easter next year.
“The workshop conducted today is going to benefit all the District and it is going to make a big impact in terms of water and sanitation,” said the CEO of Wewak District Development Authority, Martin Maingu.
Clara Momoi, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, said: “This is a very important workshop at the national level because currently we are pushing for districts to have District WaSH Plans.
“The baseline information we need to collect will inform the monitoring of the national WASH policy.”
The survey will assist the DDA to determine where services are needed most. Up to 40 people will be trained on how to conduct the survey during the week beginning 15 October 2018.
The training will help build government capacity to monitor access to WaSH services and will further provide casual work for Wewak locals.
The training is provided through WaterAid’s “Water for Women” program and is supported by the Australian government in partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea.
(Martin Maingu opens the WaterAid workshop at the Village Inn, Wewak)