Mombasa youth group scoops continental award
What you need to know:
- Swedish Government funded the project.
- The young people have rehabilitated more than 60 market toilets.
Maji na Ufanisi, a community organisation, has won the 2015 Africa Sanitation Youth Award.
The competition held in Dakar, Senegal from May 25 to 27 was sponsored by the African Ministries Council of Water.
The objective of the award is to recognise outstanding efforts and achievements in sanitation and hygiene that result in large scale, sustainable behaviour change and tangible impact.
According to a statement from the organisers, Maji na Ufanisi won the award by focusing on modelling pro-poor quality and sustainable projects. The group beat more than 1,000 competitors.
The project that won the award targeted youths in Kongowea Market and was done through the implementation of Maji na Ufanisi Water and Sanitation (Wash) Entrepreneurial Model.
According to Maji na Ufanisi Regional Programme Officer Hamisa Zaja, Wash entails the construction of and rehabilitation of water and sanitation establishments in markets and spaces, followed by training the youths to operate and manage them in a sustainable manner.
The Swedish Government funded the project.
“Our success came after a unique partnership between Mombasa County, youths, Kongowea Traders Association and Maji na Ufanisi,” Ms Zaja said in a statement on Tuesday.
The project has provided young people with the opportunity to salvage more than 60 dilapidated market toilets which currently serve over 20,000 people daily.
The theme of this year’s competition was “Making Sanitation for All a Reality in Africa” and aimed at assisting countries achieve universal access to improved sanitation and adoption of good hygiene behaviour”.
Its other objective was to make Africa “open-defecation free”.
