Thousands in Somalia Reached in Catholic Entity’s Water Initiative amid Protracted Drought

Sanitation facilities especially for schools and vulnerable communities are also needed in the country, they say, adding that hygiene promotion campaigns are also undertaken. 

Trócaire officials say they have employed water trucking, construction of new wells, elevated water tanks and points, fuel subsidies, and capacity building to ensure people access clean water.

Trócaire “provides access to water through the use of water trucks that travel to rural areas as well as the IDP camps,” they say in reference to water trucking initiative. 

“Trócaire is establishing new wells along the riverbanks, fitting them with solar-powered pumping systems, and delivering water using this sustainable energy to vulnerable populations in IDPs and host communities,” they further say.

To ensure safe and clean water, “the water supplied by these systems is chlorinated in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards,” the officials of the Catholic entity say, and add, “Community members also receive hygiene education on how to treat water.”

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The officials also say that the entity installs elevated water tanks that measure up to 5,000 liters of water to back up the new wells in IDPs and host communities. 

They add that the water tanks erected close to households address the challenge of having to walk long distances in search of water.

In places where there is no solar to pump water, the officials of the Catholic entity say that fuel subsidies are availed to communities to support water pumping.

Through water management committees, the officials of the Irish Catholic entity say that “capacity building is provided to community water and sanitation committees to improve their management skills and ensure ownership after the various water projects are completed.”

The officials say that the risk of diseases from poor sanitation is addressed by conducting hygiene promotion campaigns “targeting communities and households through house-to-house visits by hygiene promoters and Community Health Workers across our areas of operations.”

“In emergencies, Trócaire provides Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services, including the distribution of hygiene kits, to sensitize people on best hygiene practices,” they say.

Trócaire officials add in the March 22 report, “The hygiene kits, provide vulnerable households with essential hygiene items including soap, which, when combined with hygiene promotion, reduces the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.