Progress report for
Women for Water and Peace Project (W4WP) in Sierra Leone
Achievement at a glance
Through a community-led approach, the W4WP project is empowering young women from the communities to become agents of change through supporting the construction and management of twenty-five (25) water kiosks with solar-powered purification systems. The water kiosks will provide accessible, clean water for the first time to many of Freetown’s most vulnerable communities in a conflict-sensitive manner. Young women will be empowered to operate the kiosks as businesses and become agents of change and peace.Challenges faced in implementation
Most of the lands where the facilities are constructed are privately owned, but voluntarily offered up for the kiosks to be constructed. Following the June 2023 elections, there was a political impasse and one party boycotted all participation in governance and public office, including city councillor and Mayor positions. In addition to the Technical Committee, the Project Coordinator and the DPO Head meet on a regular basis. The construction has been delayed due to difficulties in procurement, particularly related to the transition to the new Quantum and UNall systems. These issues were out of the control of the country and regional teams but have now been resolved.Next Steps
Carlos Rafael Carrión-CrespoBeneficiaries
Federation for Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP), Institute of Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Sierra Leone Labour Congress, and Sierra Leone Employers' Federation (SLEF).
Actions
In November 2023, the project coordinator reported that ILRAJ used the Theatre for Development approach, working with community animators to raise awareness on sexual health, and SGBV in the communities, as well as education campaigns on Sexual Offences legislation, access to justice, and reporting/referral mechanisms. ILRAJ also facilitated participatory, community-led decision-making, with specific focus on women’s groups and women-led community-based organisations. This led to gender and conflict-sensitive determination of final locations of water infrastructure. ILRAJ has drafted the Memoranda of Understanding with the well owners and FCC, and the kiosk operators, with community stakeholders as witnesses to ensure peace and social cohesion. ILRAJ simplified relevant provisions of sexual offences legislation, translated these into several local languages with which they conducted education and information campaigns. FEDURP conducted site visits to each potential water point, with FCC WASH Coordinator, to ensure viability and benefit from local knowledge and experience. FEDURP organized community-wide workshops to raise awareness of the project and its objectives, to ensure widespread buy-in and support. FEDURP additionally facilitated multi-stakeholder engagement, including with community chairpersons, women and youth leaders, ward committees, religious leaders, etc. Thereafter, FEDURP did a community mapping to identify women leaders, groups and women-led organisations, to identify capacities for operating the kiosks, and to support some of ILRAJ’s activities above. FEDURP disseminated theSierra Leone Election Pledge, promoting peace and non-violence, in partnership with other PBF projects in country, and agreed with the PDA. WANEP conducted the Peace and Conflict Analysis, trainings on Peace and Conflict Management, conflict monitoring and supported Women-led CSOs to form civic spaces. They also conducted the midline assessment, and are currently doing refresher trainings. SLLC engaged and mobilized women’s groups and community stakeholders around promoting decent work and peaceful co-existence through social dialogue. They raised awareness on gender-based violence including through community meetings, radio and TV discussions and radio jingle messages. SLLC also engaged male community water-owners on the roles of women in businesses, so as to manage any potential conflicts with women playing key roles in the management of water facilities in their communities. As they raised awareness during 16 Days of activism against gender-based violence, SLEF is working with employers and project community members to raise awareness against work-related GBV, and also discussing the important role women play in businesses and as employers, through radio and TV discussions.
In March 2024, the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has formally commissioned the construction of 25 Water Kiosks in Freetown under a project implemented in partnership with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The project is being implemented in Aberdeen Crab Town, Dworzak, Lumley, Mayinkineh, and Rokupa, In June 2024, the Sierra Leone Employers Federation (SLEF) and the ILO trained sixty women on managing water kiosk businesses.