Liberia: Gov’t, Partners Committed To End ODF

-Concluded One Day County Wide Sanitation Activity Nat’l Stakeholders Meeting

The one-day assembly brought together stakeholders from various line Ministries and Agencies as well as Commissions with link to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) including development partners committing their efforts to end Open Defecation Free in five counties, namely Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Bassa, and Rural Montserrado.

Speaking during the one-day county Wide Sanitation Activity, National Stakeholders Acquaintance Deputy Internal Affairs Minister for Urban Affairs Paulita C, C. Wie said it was vital for the government and partners including the civil society plan together so they can work collectively to ensure that things happen in the interest of the country.

She expressed gratitude to the partners for making the meeting a success.

“We want to appreciate the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the partnership support and the continual efforts towards the Liberia Government, we want to say think you and our appreciation to the United State Government,” she said.

The Deputy Internal Affairs Minister extolled the Population Services International (PSI) and other consortiums that will be part of the implementation of the project.

She further indicated that their concern basically focuses on building a healthy community for the people of Liberia, empowerment, health and social benefits with people living with disability, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) which according to her was vital object of the meeting.

Also speaking during the meeting, Public Works Minister Ruth Coker- Collins who is the Board Chairperson for the WASH Commission said the issue of Open Defecation Free is a key concern of the government.

She used the meeting to express gratitude to President George Weah for coordinating the Affairs of the Government of the country including the partners.

Minister Collins also committed the Ministry of Public in working with WASH Commission and partners to ensure that what every designed that will be need for the project will be fully work on to make the project a success.

During the meeting, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) WASH Advisor Zulfikar Gorar said the biggest amount of funding from the United States Government is focusing on WASH and Malaria of which Liberia is benefiting.

She told the gathering that the US Congress has designated water for the world parity countries with Liberia is a part stressing that they have to work with the government through the Ministry of Health and other ministries and agencies in developing policies on what they are going to achieve on WASH over the next five years, stressing that it is going to be the central cornerstone of the support.

Gorar further said the activity concerning the five years project is the most ambitious Sanitation activity that the USA Government has globally.

“Around the world, this is the largest funding we have put to Sanitation alone and only focusing on Sanitation, this is a real top parity ” she said.

The Country Chief for Party of the Population Services International (PSI) Mathew Ndote who give the overview of the County Wide Sanitation Project said it will work with in those five counties to end ODF.

He said the project will work with the private, government and other partners mostly the communities’ residents in those counties.

Mr. Ndote said the idea of the project is for every household to have toilets in those counties including Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Bassa and Rural Montserrado among others.

Speaking at the closed of the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of the WASH Commission, Bobby Whitfield told the actors who will be implementing the project to make show that the information concerning Open Defecation Free is being disseminated to the public in a simple process that will allow everyone to get the rightful understanding of that information

Whitfield told the assembly that his legacy in government will rest on that County Wide Sanitation Activity Project of which he will take its implementation seriously.

He said the Government of Liberia is proposing a grand launch of the project that will be done on World Toilet Day which according to him, will be the best time among others.

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