Hi Gemma,
I copied and pasted your questions below, with answers.
I understand that you set up a fund for future repairs. Can you tell me how fees are collected? Do people pay monthly, or by the jerican?
Setting up the maintenance fund is one way that Lifewater ensures sustainability and community ownership of the wells. The implementi...
Hi Gemma,
I copied and pasted your questions below, with answers.
I understand that you set up a fund for future repairs. Can you tell me how fees are collected? Do people pay monthly, or by the jerican?
Setting up the maintenance fund is one way that Lifewater ensures sustainability and community ownership of the wells. The implementing partner, Divine Waters Uganda, forms or strengthens a Water Source and Sanitation Committee (WSSC) for each water point. The WSSC along with Divine Waters staff discusses the committee, who and how many people are on the committee, as well as how the committee should collect the dues. Typically dues are paid monthly on a sliding scale so that widows do not pay as much as a family, for example. The method of collecting dues is up to the individual WSSC. Most often, community members pay with money or with crops, animals, or other goods. If someone cannot pay, they may be given one month to contribute what they can afford. In general, people are eager to contribute to the sustainability of the borehole and hand pump.
Free for the students? It’s up to the WSSC.
Does anyone get paid for repair? Local technicians are paid a small fee for minor maintenance, which gives local well repair teams (often trained by Divine Waters) a source of income.
Is the committee all volunteer? Yes, with the goal of 50% men and 50% women.
Does the fee collection cover annual maintenance costs or do they appeal to the government or Divine Waters? The fee pays for minor maintenance, and general upkeep. Major repairs, rehabilitations or replacements come would be subsidized from other sources. The government has not been a contributor to pump repair costs.
Can you tell me a little more about the government engagement/investment? Divine Waters has a good relationship with the local government bodies and submits water quality tests, reports, and drill logs to the government. The government coordinates and keeps track of the work done by various NGOs in the area, however does not contribute financially to the projects. The government meets quarterly with Divine Waters to check on the progress of the project but Divine Waters monitors the functioning of wells and Water Committees. These roles and responsibilities are spelled out in an MOU signed by Divine Waters and the District Government. The NGOs with outside funding tend to carry the projects on to completion.
Is Divine Waters and their donors covering all the costs, or is government contributing as well? Costs are supported by the community, Divine Waters, and its donors.
As the monitoring entity, how often will they visit and what is their specific role? Monitoring schedules are being developed, depending on the location and access to nearby roads.
Do they water test? Yes, Divine Waters tests using field test kits for bacteria,
Do they check to see if fees are being collected? Monitoring of the WSSC is done in collaboration with hand pump monitoring and one of the inspections is fee collection.
Thanks for your input!
Julie
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