WUDZA leads WASNET Forum in Tamale

The Wuni Zaligu Development Association (WUZDA), an NGO in Tamale, is leading in a WASH Network to engage partners look at activities in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector in the Northern Region for 2016.

The forum in Tamale, is expected to look back at the strides of partners in the previous year and cast a light on shortfalls for enhancement and the focus for 2016.

WUZDA which is leading this initiative has been keen on raising issues surrounding the WASH sector and providing community members in its operational areas the needed support to approach basic issues of water, sanitation and hygiene at the local level.

There are other areas of focus for WUZDA in its community approach to livelihood empowerment support initiatives.Since its inception, the organization has contributed to the improvement of socio-economic and health conditions of members of its target groups in the following:

Supported 505 women through Village Savings and Loans Scheme to make them self-reliant., revamping and strengthening of WASH structures in 40 communities to better manage and sustain WASH facilities, enhancing the capacity of 60 Environmental Health and Sanitation staff in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District on sanitation technological options to market and promote household latrine construction and use.

The NGO has also established Latrine Sanitation Credit scheme which has supported the construction of 356 household latrines of various types, supported 35 basic schools with water, latrines and hygiene facilities in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District. The organization has supported the Sagnarigu District Environmental Health and Sanitation Department to conduct health screening for food venders and cooks who sell to school pupils.

This exercise affected 101 caterers from 43 basic schools. Out of the 101 screened caterers, 48 cooks and caterers were identified with typhoid fever and placed under treatment at 2 health facilities (Rabito clinic and St. Lucy Polyclinic, both in Tamale).

In food security approaches, WUZDA has trained 183 farmers on compost development, its management and application. It has also established a 1.2acre land drip for dry season farming, this engaged 28 farmers made up of 16 men and 12 women who are directly participating in the demonstration farm. A video documentary is being developed on that.

Through initiatives to keep the public informed about WASH issues and for reason of advocacy, WUZDA has done two years of consecutive and consistent radio campaign and this is happening on two radio stations (Might FM – Savelugu, Radio Justice - Tamale).

The program with Might FM is dubbed 'Sanitation Monday' where a total of 96 hourly discussions have taken place over the last two years. With radio Justice, a total of 48 discussions took place, the program is dubbed "Time with WUZDA" and airs every Wednesday.

The Wuni Zaligu Development Association has set out not to solve WASH issues for communities but empower them enough to initiate processes in accessing them on their own, through community engagement approaches and advocacy.