Assessing Capacity Building Initiatives For Caretakers Of Rural Water Supply Sene District
Date
2000-09
Authors
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
A much-discussed criterion for evaluating development NGO activities concerns
the "sustainability of their projects - that is, their ability to remain viable after
external support ceases - and their replicability - the degree to which groups not
directly assisted by the NGO take up NGO projects on their own. If the benefits of
NGO work cease when the resources do, the NGO is merely providing “aid”, if
the benefits continue past the period of NGO involvement, “development” has
been initiated (Korten 1990).
This study examines the issue of sustainability of the water system through
training on operation and maintenance in the Sene District. World Vision
International Ghana established Ghana Rural Water Project as its branch for
water activities in 1984/85 just after the long drought period in 1983. Ghana
Rural Water Project was set up to provide potable water or drill boreholes for
rural people (World Vision assisted communities) to combat the guinea-worm
disease.
The major concern of this water project is to guarantee sustainable systems in
the beneficiary communities. It is against this background that World Vision
Ghana Rural Water Project (WVGRWP) is incorporating a major training
component in the programme.The process of sustaining projects depends on both the donor agency and the
beneficiary communities. Training enhances the skills and build the capacity of
selected volunteers, it has therefore, been identified as very vital to the effort
towards sustainability.
The general objective of the study is to find out the link between training and
maintenance in the process of sustainability of the water project in the Sene
District.
The findings revealed that Ghana Rural Water Project between 1994 - 1996
drilled 134 boreholes in 74 communities and had conducted 1st level training for
all the selected volunteers from the beneficiary communities. It is the policy of
the organisation to encourage women to be part of the trainees, so almost in
every community there is a female trainee.
From the study it was realised that before the training programme, the
communities relied on pump technicians from outside the district. The
maintenance charges by these technicians and the cost of non-available spare
parts were so exorbitant that most communities abandoned their faulty
boreholes. Thus, the issue of sustainability ended when the boreholes broke
down. After training, all the 30 selected volunteers could repair and maintain the
borehole without any supervision, and this has reduced maintenance cost and
also ensured regular flow of water. Analysis showed that 22 trainees have also
trained one or two people to replicate the knowledge and skills acquired. The knowledge, Attitude and Practices of the trainees have changed as a result of
training received. The laissez-faire attitude of the people has been neutralized,
and the people have acquired the culture of maintenance to support community
projects. Projects have now been seen as theirs and no more government
projects and so must be taken care of.
Community management and the state of the water system has not been up to
expectation according to the findings. There is a recommendation that
management committees must relate to each other very well in order to ensure
good community participation in the crusade for the sustainability.
Description
Thesis (M.A.) - University of Ghana, 2000