Upload
oxfam
View
15
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
This publication documents the community participation and planning process used in developing the baseline data in the first year of a five year WASH program in South Africa. It reviews the work with four of the five partner organisations in an Australian African Community Engagement Scheme (AACES) in South Africa. The partners are all based in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The document covers the baseline research process and early implementation phase, provides a record of learning and reflections from the partner organisations, and captures the diverse methods and different techniques used to facilitate community consultations. The document is one of a number of publications highlighting NGO good practice and innovations from partner organisations supported by Oxfam in South Africa.
Citation preview
OccasiOnal PaPer 3
aaces* and Partner baselinedeveloPment in south africa(*australia africa cOmmunity engagement scheme)
1 introduction 4
2 the australia africa community engagement scheme (aaces) 5
3 imPlementation of aaces 6
4 community ParticiPation and ParticiPatory develoPment 7
5 the aaces baseline Process 8
5.1 ReflectionsontheBaselineProcess 8
5.2 LessonsLearned 10 6 the imPlementation Phase 11
6.1 WozaMoya 11 6.1.1 TheOrganisation 11 6.1.2 AACESActivities 11 6.1.3 Reflections 14
6.2 SavetheChildrenKZN 15 6.2.1 TheOrganisation 15 6.2.2 AACESActivities 16 6.2.3 Reflections 18
6.3 FancyStitch 19 6.3.1 TheOrganisation 19 6.3.2 AACESActivities 21 6.3.3 Reflections 22
6.4 TholulwaziUzivikele 23 6.4.1 TheOrganisation 23 6.4.2 AACESActivities 23 6.4.3 Reflections 24 7 overarching learning themes 27
7.1 TheBaselineandToolsUsed 27
7.2 ContextSpecificProcesses 27
7.3 CommunityParticipationandMobilisation 27
7.4 Implementation 29
7.5 LearningaboutWASH 29 8 conclusion 30
references 30
contents
ChildrengathertolearnhowtowashtheirhandsataSavetheChildrenKZNsupportedcrecheinUmzinto,KwaZulu-Natal.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
list of acronyms
3
aaces AustraliaAfricaCommunity
EngagementScheme
adc AidingDramaticChangeinDevelopment
aids AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndrome
dfat DepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade
ecd EarlyChildhoodDevelopment
hiv HumanImmunodeficiencyVirus
mdic MaputalandDevelopment
andInformationCentre
ngo Non-GovernmentalOrganisation
Pra ParticipatoryRuralAppraisal
rra RapidRuralAppraisal
sdt Socio-DramaTopography
tb Tuberculosis
tu TholulwaziUzivikele
Wash Water,SanitationandHygiene
4
1 introduction
TheDepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade(DFAT)AustraliaAfricaCommunityEngagementScheme(AACES),whichwasfundedthroughOxfamAustraliain2011,focusesonwater,sanitationandhygiene(WASH)andpublichealthinZambiaandSouthAfrica.TheoverallgoaloftheprogramistoimprovethehealthandqualityoflifeofthepoorandvulnerableintargetedareasofthetwoSouthernAfricancountries.
Theobjectivesoftheprogramare:
1. Increasedaccessto,andeffectiveuseof,improvedintegratedandsustainable watersuppliesandWASHservices;2. ReducedWASH-relatedinequalitiesingenderandvulnerablegroups;3. StrengthenedcapacityofstakeholderstomanageandimplementWASHprogramson asustainablebasis;4. ImprovedWASHgovernanceandeffectiveness;and5. Thedocumentationandsharingoflearningthatinformspolicy,publicengagement andprogramdevelopmentandgrowth.
ThiscasestudydocumentsthecommunityparticipationandplanningprocessofAACESinSouthAfrica.DuringtheresearchinterviewswereconductedwithfouroffiveOxfampartnersthatareimplementingtheprogram;somemembersoftheirbeneficiarycommunities;stafffromLimaRuralDevelopment–theconsultancythatfacilitatedtheParticipatoryRuralAppraisal(PRA)baselineforAACES–andOxfamstaffmembers.Inaddition,abriefliteraturereviewoncommunityparticipationwasconducted.Theauthoralsoobservedfourcommunityparticipationsessions–onewitheachofthepartners–duringwhichdifferenttechniqueswereusedtofacilitatecommunityconsultations.Thiscasestudycapturesthesediversemethodsandprovidesthereflectionsandvoicesofthepartnersandindividualsfromthecommunitiesinwhichthepartnerswork.
5
2 the australia africa community engagement scheme (aaces)
TheAACESprogramdesigniscentredontheuseofarights-basedapproachtoensureaccesstoWASHservicesforpoorandvulnerablepeople.ThisapproachisinlinewiththeUnitedNationsresolutionthatrecognisespeople’srightstoclean,safewaterandsanitation.Thedesignprocessinvolveddrawingexpertisefromconsultationsatdifferentlevels,andexperiencesfromcommunitiesandotherkeystakeholders,includinglessonsfromothercountries,suchasZambia,KenyaandTanzania.Theselearningswereimperativeinthedesignprocess,planningandimplementationatdifferentphases.
InZambiatheimplementationoftheprogrambuiltonOxfam’sexistingexperienceinimplementingWASHprograms.InSouthAfricatheprogramisimplementedthroughexistingOxfampartnersthathadpreviouslybeenworkingincommunitiesonprojectsthatfocusedondifferentaspectsincludingfoodsecurity,HIVandchildsocialprotection.
Fivepartners,whowerenewtoimplementingWASH-relatedactivities,initiallypilotedtheimplementationofAACESinSouthAfrica.
ItisOxfamAustralia’sintentionthattheprocessandexperiencesbecarefullydocumentedforlearningandsharing,particularlyinordertoinformasubsequentrolloutoftheprogramshouldthisbefeasible.
ThiscasestudysupportsthatintentionanddocumentsthecommunityparticipationandplanningofAACESwithfourofthefiveimplementingpartnersinSouthAfrica.
6
ThefivepartnersselectedtoimplementAACESoperateinfourdistrictmunicipalitiesintheKwaZulu-NatalprovinceofSouthAfrica.Theyare:
• Woza moya,whichisbasedinSisonkeDistrictandworkswithcommunitiestoaddress HIVprevention,treatmentcareandsupport,andstigmaanddiscrimination;• save the children KZn,whichislocatedineThekwiniMunicipalityandUguDistrict,and supportsearlychildhooddevelopment(ECD)centrestomeetrequirementsforlegal statusandrecognition;• fancy stitchinUmkhanyakudeDistrictsupportsthelivelihoodsofpeopleaffected withHIVandAIDSthroughincomegeneratingcreativeartactivitiesandotherfood securityinitiatives;• tholulwazi uzivikele(TU),whichisbasedinUmkhanyakudeDistrict,andfocusesonfood securityforpeopleaffectedbyTBandHIVandsupportsyouthdevelopmentandECD;• maputaland development and information centre(MDIC)isalsolocatedinUmkhanyakude Districtandfocusesonsocialfacilitation.(ThecasestudyoftheMDICprocesswillbe availablewhenworkonitiscompleted.)
the Process
TheAACESWASHprogramwasdevelopedonthebasisthatactivitieswouldbeintegratedintotheexistingworkoftheSouthAfricanpartners.DuringthedesignandplanningofAACES,theuseofparticipatorymethodologywasemphasisedbyOxfamAustraliatoensurethatplansweredevelopedwiththefullparticipationandconsultationofthetargetcommunitiesinwhichthepartnerorganisationsworked.
Themethodology,whichwasadoptedforgatheringbaselinedatainrelationtoWASHintherelevantcommunities,isknownastheParticipatoryRuralAppraisal(PRA)andisexplainedinmoredetailbelow.Thisprocesswasfacilitatedbyindependentconsultants,LimaRuralDevelopment.
Followingthebaselineprocess,partnersenteredapilotimplementationphase.ThisinvolvedimplementingprojectsfundedbyOxfamAustraliathroughtheAACESfund.Theinitialpilotphasewasforsixmonths.
3 imPlementation of aaces
7
4 community ParticiPation and ParticiPatory develoPment
Communityparticipationfallsunderthebroaderthemeofparticipatorydevelopment,whichbecameabuzzwordindevelopmentinthe1970s.Itisbasedontheviewthatpeoplewhoaretargetedfordevelopmenthavesomethingtooffer–intermsoflocalknowledge,experienceandtheirowncapacity–withregardtothedevelopmentandimplementationofprojects.
Therearemanyapproachestoparticipatorydevelopmentandthesehaveevolvedovertheyears.However,thefundamentalprinciplesremainthesame.TheycanbetracedbacktotheworkofPauloFrereandtheliteracyrevolution,wherethefundamentalprinciplesofpeople-centerednessandrecognitionofpeople’sknowledgeandexperiencesbecamemoreentrenchedinconversationsaboutdevelopment.Approachestodevelopmentsawprocessesbecomemorefacilitativeandcollaborative,andtherewasmutualresponsibilityratherthantheimpositionof“outside”expertknowledgeandideas.
Thecentralideaisthatdevelopmentinitiativesshouldnotbeseparatedfromrealitiesatagrassrootslevel(moreinformationisavailableinthearticle“Farmer-back-to-Farmer:AModelforGeneratingAcceptableAgriculturalTechnology”,whichwaspublishedinAgriculturalAdministrationin1982).Communityconsultationorparticipationprovidesanopportunityfortheserealitiestobecaptured.Communityparticipationinvolvesvarioustoolsinaprocessthatenablescommunitiestobeinvolvedininitiativesthatdirectlyorindirectlyaffectthem.
the ParticiPatory rural aPPraisal
ThePRAevolvedfromtheRapidRuralAppraisal(RRA),amethodthatinvolvedresearchersusingparticipatorytoolstoextractdatatoanswerspecificresearchquestions.ThedevelopmentoftheRRAwasbasedonanthropologicalmethodslikeethnography,butitrecognisedthatresearchersdonothavethetimerequiredbyethnographytogatherinformation.Asaresult,theRRA,whichwasarapid,butmoreparticipatorymethodofenquiry,wasdeveloped.ThislaterevolvedtothePRA,whichismoreaction-orientedresearch.ThePRAisregardedasanapproachtodevelopmentthatrecognisesruralpeople’sabilitytoarticulate,analyseandplantheirowndevelopment(asoutlinedinLearningtoShareExperiencesandReflectionsonPRAandCommunityParticipation,whichwaspublishedin1997).
Likemostparticipatoryapproaches,thePRAacknowledgeslocalknowledgeandskillandusestoolsthatstimulatediscussionamongpeopleinacommunity.ThefundamentalthinkinginPRAisthatcommunitiesareabletoclearlyidentifyissuesthataffectthem,and,therefore,candevelopcontext-specificinterventionstoaddressthoseissues.Whencommunities–atermthatisusedlooselytodescribepeoplelivinginthesamegeographicalareaandgovernedbysimilarnormsandvalues–leadaprocess,theyownit,whichincreasesthelikelihoodofsuccessandsustainabilityintheshort,mediumandlongterm.
PRAwasinitiallydevelopedforruralcontexts,buthasbeenusedinmoreurbansettingsandfordifferentpurposesbynon-governmentalorganisations(NGOs),governmentbodies,universitiesandresearchinstitutionsaroundtheworld(formoreinformationseethe1997publicationWhoseRealityCounts?:PuttingtheFirstLast).Essentiallyamethodofsocialenquiryoranactionresearchmethod,accordingtoitsoriginaldesign,theuseofPRAhasbroughtaboutsignificantresults.
FortheAACESprojectinSouthAfrica,thePRAmethodologywaschosenasthebestwaytoequippartnersandcommunitieswiththenecessarytoolsforengagement,aswellastoalignongoingactivitiestotheproposedWASHintervention.
8
5 the aaces baseline Process
AfteradoptingPRAasapreferredmethodology,OxfamAustraliacontractedLimaRuralDevelopment,anorganisationthathasexpertiseinworkingwithPRA,tofacilitatethebaselineprocess.FromtheOxfamAustraliaperspectiveitwasdeemednecessaryforspecificWASH-relatedPRAstudiestobeundertakentoaligntheperceivedcommunityneedsandexpectationswiththoseofthepartnersandcommunitiesandwiththeAACESoutcomes.
AspartofthisprocessLimafacilitatedatwo-dayparticipatorysessionwitheachofthefourpartnerscoveredinthiscasestudy,aswellaswithmembersofthecommunitiesinwhichtheywork,tocreateasnapshotoftheWASHissuesaffectingthecommunities.Duetotimelimitations,Limagatheredinitialinformationbycommunicatingtelephonicallywitheachofthepartners.Theconsultantslaterarrangedforfacetofacesessionstobeheldwiththepartnersandcommunities.Limarepresentativesaskedeachpartnertomobiliseatleast40communitymemberstoparticipateinthePRAbaselineprocess.
Giventhetaskathand,timelimitationsanddistancesbetweenpartners,LimastaffmemberschoseappropriatePRAtools,suchasVenndiagrams,communityresourcemapping,focusgroupdiscussionsandtransectwalks,toaddressthechallengesposedbythepartnersandcommunities.Itwasenvisagedthatthroughthesetools,partnersandcommunitieswouldstillbeallowedenoughtimetofullyparticipateandcontributetotheproposedWASHintervention.
Thesessionsconsistedlargelyoffocusgroupdiscussions,duringwhichthespecificPRAtoolswereused,aswellaskeyinformantinterviews.ThepurposeofthesessionswastoestablishthebaselineonthestateofWASH,includingtheWASHresourcesintherelevantareasofoperationandhowtheresourceswerebeingused,managedandprotected.
5.1 reflections on the baseline Process
content of the baseline data
Lima’sreflectiononthebaselinewasthatusefuldatawasobtainedfromthedifferentcommunitiesregardingthestatusofWASHresourcesandservices,includingthebroaderchallengesfacedbymembersofthecommunityregardingWASH.
Partnersfoundtheinformationbeneficialforprovidinganoverallpictureanddatathatwassubsequentlyusedindifferentwaystoinformplanningforfurthercommunityengagements.
Somepartnersusedtheinformationobtainedduringthebaselineprocessasachecklistagainstdatathattheyhadobtainedpreviously,orasareferencewhenlobbyingorengagingwithgovernmentstakeholdersatalaterstage.
ItbecameapparentduringthisprocessthatitwasnecessaryforpartnerstounderstandWASHasbeingconcernedwithmorethanjustinfrastructuredevelopment.Asaresult,theAACESoutcomesfocusedprimarilyonWASH-relatedcommunityengagementprocessesandempowerment,onsupportinggovernmentstructuresandonholdingthosestructuresaccountable,aswellaslearningfromexchangesbetweenvariousroleplayers.
IttooktimeandexposureforallOxfampartnerstounderstandthatwhilstaccesstowaterandsanitationmayrequiresomefacilities,attimesitrequiresgovernmenttorespondaccordingly.Inaddition,thePRAprocess,whichwastimelimitedanddidnotallowforaverydeepanalysisofconnections,wasdesignedtoopenspacefordiscussionsandtoexplorelinkagesbetweenexistingactivitiesandtheproposedWASHintervention,aswellasbetweenissuessuchasgeneralhygiene,healthandWASH.
9
ThePRAprocessalsobroughtkeystakeholderstogethertoreflectonchallengesandpossiblesolutionsandgavemembersofthecommunitytheopportunitytoexpressanddiscusstheirrealitywithrelevantauthoritiesandthesupportingpartner.
community involvement
Limaconsultantswereoftheviewthattheconsultativesessionsweregenerallyusefulandgavecommunitiesanopportunitytointeractandreflectontheirownexperiencesaboutthehistoryofwaterandsanitationintherespectiveareas.Somemembersofthecommunity,particularlyyoungpeople,wereabletolearnfromothersaboutthehistoryofWASHinthecommunity.
Thetimetoengagewithpartnersduringthisinitialphasewaslimited.Inretrospect,theLimaPRAconsultationsshouldhavebeendoneearlierinthedesignphase.However,whentheusefulnessofaWASHspecificanddocumentedbaselinewasidentified,otherparticipatoryprocesseswereusedintheleaduptotheactualPRAexercises.Theseincludedtelephonicdiscussionswithpartners.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Limastaffmembersnotedthatinallthesessionstheyfacilitatedpeoplewerequicktoidentifychallengesrelatingtowaterandsanitation,butnothygiene.Itwasonlythroughprobingandfurtherdiscussionsthatpeopleidentifiedandclearlyarticulatedthehygiene-relatedissuesinthecommunity.
constraints
Limastaffhadoriginallyconceivedconductingathree-dayprocesswitheachofthepartners.However,duetoconstraintseachsessionlastedtwodaysandLimahadtocarefullyselecttoolsthatwouldallowforrapidsocialengagement,whilebroadlycapturingthemainissues.
AlthoughsomeofthetoolsthatLimausedforthisprocessweresimilar,itwasnotedthattheoutcomesvariedwitheachcommunity.Theuseofdifferenttoolsdependedpartlyonthecontextinwhichthepartnerworks.Forexample,SavetheChildrenKZNworksinamoreurbanenvironmentwhichrequiredadifferentapproachtopartnersworkinginaruralarea.Inaddition,Limatriangulatedthevarioustoolsandusedinformationgatheredduringthetransectwalktoobtainamorecomprehensivesituationalanalysis.
Asmentionedpreviously,thereweretimeconstraintsduringthisPRAprocess.Partnersstatedthatabroaderspectrumofissuescouldhavebeencoveredifadditionaltimehadbeenallocatedforthebaselinedatacollectionaspectofthisprogram.PartnerorganisationsalsofoundthattheinsufficienttimetoprepareforthePRAprocessimpactedontheirabilitytofullymobilisecommunitiesandkeystakeholdersaheadofthesessions.
Inaddition,thebaselineprocesswasconductedinNovemberandDecemberandsomepartnersfoundthatcommunitiesandorganisationswerealreadyengagedinendofyearactivitieswhichmadeitdifficulttomobilisecommunitiesaswellasencouragefullparticipationintheexercise.
10
5.2 lessons learned
Thecontextinwhicheachpartnerworksisdifferentandthereforeanyinteractionwiththecommunitywouldhavetocaterforthesedifferencesandprocessesneedtobeadjustedaccordingly.Althoughavarietyoftoolswereusedfordifferentpartners,therewasageneralsensefrompartnerorganisationsthatpreliminaryconsultationswiththeirstaffmemberswouldhaveenabledLimatobetteradapttheprocesstospecificallysuiteachpartner’scommunityprofile.Thiswouldallowfortheexplorationofopportunitiesforintegrationwiththeexistingworkofpartnersinthecommunity.Thisaspectisfocusedontheneedforpartnerstobeproperlyengagedtounderstandthetoolssothattheycanpreparecommunitiesaccordingly,insteadofonlybeingnotifiedoftheintentiontousethePRAmethod.Thisinformationmayalsobesharedthroughinformationsharingonparticipatorymethodologies.
11
6 the imPlementation Phase
Whilethebaselineprocesswasstillunderway,partnerswererequiredtodevelopplansforpilotWASHprojectsthatwouldlastforsixmonths.Theplanswerelargelyinformedbypartners’priorknowledgeofWASHissuesinthecommunitybecausethebaselineprocess,andreportthereof,wasnotcompleteatthetimetheplansweresourced.Thebaselineinformationwas,however,subsequentlyavailableduringtheimplementationprocess.Asaresult,thepartner’sWASHinterventions,aswellasannualoperationalplans,wereabletobeinformedbytheconsolidatedPRAprocessthatinvolvedallstakeholders.
Thenextsectionofthiscasestudyoutlineseachorganisation,theWASHprojectundertakenbythatpartnerandreflectionsontheprocess.
6.1 WoZa moya
6.1.1 the organisation
WozaMoyahasworkedintheUfafacommunityfor13yearsandhasacloseworkingrelationshipwiththecommunityataverylocallevelthroughcommunityhealthworkerswhoworkwithhouseholdsonissuesrelatingtoHIV.
Thisisregardedasthepartner’smainstrengthbecauseitprovidesWozaMoyawithaneyeintothecommunityonanongoingbasis.ItenablestheorganisationtoreceiveregularinformationabouttheburningissuesofthecommunitythroughthedailyexperiencesofthecommunityworkersandprovidesanopportunityforWozaMoyatoshareinformationwithmembersofthecommunity.
AspartoftheAACESprogramWozaMoyaimplementedacommunityhouseholdsurvey,producedvideosrelatingtoWASHandconductedacommunitydialogue.Thismulti-methodapproachtookintoaccountthatwaterandsanitationwasanewprogramareaandthatWozaMoyastaffhadnotthoughtintentlyabouthowWASHrelatedtotheirotheractivities.
TheyalsoexpressedaneedtodeepentheirunderstandingaboutwhatcommunitymembersthoughtandfeltaroundWASHandhowtheydealtwiththelackofservicesandresources.
6.1.2 aaces activities
community household survey
ToobtainadetailedinformativepictureaboutWASHintheareainwhichWozaMoyaoperates,theorganisationconductedahouseholdsurvey.Datawascollectedfrom275householdsintheUfafaValleybyWozaMoyacareworkers,whounderstoodthestructureandlayoutofthecommunity,aswellastheWozaMoyaprogram,andhadeasyaccessintothecommunity.
Wash videos
UsingfundingfromOxfam,youthreceivedtrainingthatbuiltonandsharpenedpreviouslyobtainedskillsinfilm-makingandobtainedtechnicaltrainingfromamentortwiceamonth.TheAACESprojectprovidedanopportunityfortheyouthtousetheirskillstofurtherdevelopwhattheyhadlearned.Inaddition,WozaMoyarecognisedthatvideosareapowerfultoolthatcanbesharedbroadlyandthatthefilmingofthevideosprovidedanopportunitytobeoutinthecommunity.
LocalcommunitymembersaccesswaterfromthecommunitypumpinruralKwaZulu-Natal.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
13
Theprogramteaminitiallyoutlinedwhattheywantedtocaptureandthemediateamdevelopedascriptwhichwasdiscussedandagreedupon.Capturingthefootageinvolvedshootingspecificexperiencesofindividualsandgroupsofpeopleinreallifesettings.
Oncethefilmingwascomplete,thefootagewasscreenedfortheteamtogiveinput,providingfeedbackfortheyouthtousewheneditingandfinalisingthevideos.
TheresultwasfivevideosonWASH:oneonthePRAprocess;anotherondisability,waterandsanitation;thethirdonprotectingwatersourcesbyremovinglitter,cleaningupandremovingalienvegetation;anotheronbrokeninfrastructurethatneededrepairsandlackofcapacityandskilltorepairequipment;andthefifthwasoncommunitydialogue.Atthetimeofthisresearchasixthvideodocumentingpeoplewholeavetheirhomesintheearlyhoursofthemorningtogotowatersourcesandtheirdailyexperiencesaroundwaterandsanitation,wasbeingfinalised.
community dialogue
AspartofAACES,WozaMoyadrewonitspreviousexperienceofconductingacommunitydialoguethatfocusedonchildren’srightsandheldasimilareventonWASH,whichwaspartofawaterdaycelebration.Thisdialoguegavecommunitymembersanopportunitytocometogetherandlearnfromoneanotherwiththepurposeofenablingpeopletofindavoiceandtoimprovesolidarityinthecommunity.
Tolaunchtheprocess,theWozaMoyateamheldabrainstormingsessiontoidentifythesectorstoberepresentedatthedialogue.Thesewereidentifiedasthefollowing:thecommunity(includingcommunityleadership),theyouth(includingschools),otherNGOsworkingintheUfafaareaandgovernmentdepartments.Invitationsweresentouttothesestakeholdersusingdifferentmedia,includingfaxandemail,viacareworkers,intheformofnoticesdeliveredtoschools,tothetraditionalleadershipandthroughwordofmouth.
Thepositiveresponsefromthecommunityandstakeholderswasevidentintheturnoutonthedayofthedialogue.TheprocessinvolvedpresentingthefindingsofWozaMoya’shouseholdsurvey,aswellasLima’sbaselinefindings,afterwhichparticipantsweregivenanopportunitytocommentonandaskquestionsaboutthepresentations.Breakawaysessionsgaveparticipants,whoweredividedintostakeholdergroups,theopportunitytodiscusstheirroleinresponsetotheWASHissuespresented.Thisinputwassubsequentlydiscussedinthebroaderforum.WozaMoyaalsoclarifiedtheroleofthepartnerorganisationintheprogram,givenavailablecapacityandresources.
Participantsinvolvedinthedialoguefeltthattheywereinvolvedasownersinaprocess,weredrivingtheoutcomesofinitiativesandwerebeingsupportedtoprotecttheirownresources.Onecommunitymemberstatedthatpeoplefelt“inthesemeetings,thingscangetclarifiedaboutwhythingshavenotworkedbeforeandhowtopreventthesamemistakesinthefuture”.
Theconsensusatthedialoguewasfortheestablishmentofwatercommitteestotakeresponsibilityformanagingwatersources.Furthermore,participantswereoftheviewthatcommitteemembersshouldbetrainedinsometechnicalaspectsofWASHsothattheyarebetterabletomaintaintheresourcesinthecommunity.
14
6.1.3 reflections
community dialogue
Thecommunitydialoguewasempoweringinthatitprovidedanopportunityforcommunitymemberstohearandlistentooneanotherinasingleforumwhichenabledthemtoidentifycommonissues.Aspeoplefeltabletoopenupandsharetheirviews,itwasclearthat“peoplearenothappywithservicesdeliveryissues”,accordingtoaWozaMoyastaffmember.
Withitsstructuredformat,thecommunitydialoguewasasuccessfulcommunityengagementtoolbecauseitfocusedthediscussionsothatkeyissueswereaddressed.
ThevalueofthisprocesswasevidentinWozaMoya’sintentiontoholdanothercommunitydialogueonWASHayearaftertheonementionedabove.ItwasanticipatedthatbythetimetheseconddiscussionisheldtheWASHcommitteestructures(seeCommunityParticipationbelow)wouldbeestablishedandabletohandlewhatcameoutoftheseconddialogueprocess.
community ParticiPation
SettingupWASHcommitteeswasapriorityoutcomefromthedialogue,butWozaMoyaacknowledgedthatitwascrucialthatprocesseswerefollowedinthisregardtoensurethecommitteemembersdidnothavepoliticalinterestsandthatthemostvulnerablemembersofthecommunitywerefullyrepresented.Asaresultitisanticipatedthatitwilltakesometimeforthecommitteestobeestablished.
youth ParticiPation
WozaMoyastaffdidnotexpectthelevelofvocalisationaboutWASHissuesbytheyouththatemergedduringthecommunitydialogue.Theorganisationhadanticipatedthatwomen,especiallythosewhoofferhomebasedcaretosickpeople,wouldbethemostoutspokenaboutWASH.However,theyouth,whowerefromalltenareasofUfafa,spokeaboutWASHcommitteesandvoicedtheirangeratthelackofservicesinthecommunity.Asaresultthedialoguecreatedanopportunitytobuildactivismamongyoutharoundafundamentaldevelopmentissue.ThroughthisprocessWozaMoyarealisedtheimportanceofincludingtheyouthinfutureaspectsoftheproject.
sKills and training
TheneedfortechnicaltrainingemergedduringthedialogueaspeoplestatedthattheydidnotknowhowtorepairWASHresourcesanddidnotwanttorelyonoutsidersbecause,inthewordsofoneparticipant,“theynevercome”.
DrawingfromapreviousOxfamlearningeventwhereinformationwassharedaboutwomeninKenyawhoweredoingrepairsthemselves,WozaMoyadecidedtotrainfourcommunityhealthworkersinthefirstyearaspartofapilotinordertolearnhowtheycouldrollouttheprojecttoothercommunitymembers.
Thedevelopmentofthevideosprovidedthemediateamwithanopportunitytodeveloptheirskills,butitwasnotedthattheyneedtofurtherbuildtheircapacitywithregardtoskillssuchasscriptwritingandstorytellingandrelatingtosometechnicalaspects.
15
information and aWareness relating to Wash
WozaMoyaidentifiedtheneedtoobtainadditionalinformationregardingWASHintheUfafacommunity.Asaresult,itwasdecidedthatasurveyonWASHwouldbeconductedintheelevenschoolsinthevalley.
ThesenseofincreasedawarenessaroundWASHissueswasevidentintheareainwhichWozaMoyaworkswhenthelocalchoirsangahumoroussongaboutwaterandsanitationatasubsequentYouthDayevent.
revieW and clarification of oWn role
WozaMoyafoundtheoutcomesoftheinitialAACESprogramoverwhelmingasstaffmemberswereunclearastowhatdirectiontheirWASHinitiativesshouldtake.Thereweresomanyrequestsfromthecommunityand,althoughtheytriedtoasserttheirrole,WozaMoyastaffneededtomanagehowtheydealtwiththecommunityresponsewhichwas“waytoomuchtoosoon”,inthewordsoftheWozaMoyadirector.Asaresulttherewasaneedtoreconveneasanorganisationandthinkabouthowtheprogramcouldproceed.
engaging With other staKeholders
AchallengeexpressedbyWozaMoyarelatedtothedifficultiesinengagingwiththelocalmunicipalityaboutwaterandsanitation,whicharebasichumanrightsandfundamentaltopeople’swellbeing,livelihoodsandhealth.WozaMoyaregardedthemunicipalityasvitalpartnersandplannedtocontinuetolookatmorevigorouswaysofengagement,althoughtherehadbeenacompletelackofresponsetopreviousapproaches.
6.2 save the children KZn
6.2.1 the organisation
SavetheChildrenKZNworkswithcrèchesindifferentareas,buttheorganisation’sfocusforWASHisinUmzintoandWentworth.Thepartner’sroleistosupportthecrèchesandbuildthecapacityofstaffmemberssotheyimproveservicesandareabletomeettheregistrationrequirementsoftheDepartmentofSocialDevelopment.ThisallowsacrèchetoberecognisedasanECDserviceproviderandmakesiteligibleforgrantsfromthegovernment.AsSavetheChildren’sfocusisoncapacitydevelopmentforcommunityserviceentities,ratherthanoncommunitydevelopment,thecommunitywithinwhichthepartnerworksismorediversethanisthecasewithotherpartnersinvolvedinAACES.
SavetheChildren’scommunityhasthreesectors:
• thecrèchecommunity,whichconsistsofteachersandchildren,• thedifferentstakeholdersthatworkwithcrèches,includingNGOs andrelevantgovernmentdepartmentsand• theparentsofthechildrenwhoattendthecrèches.
SavetheChildreninteractsandworksdirectlywiththefirstandsecondgroupsandindirectlywiththeparents,whointurninteractdirectlywiththecommunity.
AspartoftheACCESprogram,SavetheChildrenKZNconductedacommunitysurveyandstakeholderworkshopsandconductedmonitoringvisitsatcrèchesregardingWASH.
16
6.2.2 aaces activities
community survey
Aftercompletingthebaseline,SavetheChildrenstartedthisprojectbyadministeringatwo-pagequestionnairetoidentifythestatusquoofWASHresourcesinWentworthandUmzinto.Theorganisationsubsequentlydesignedacomprehensiveseven-pagequestionnairethataimedtoascertaintheleveloffunctioningofWASHresourcesandothermoredetailedhealthrequirementsthatarerequiredbygovernmentatcrèchelevel.
Thequestionnaireswereadministeredbyanindependentresearcher,whoisalsoaqualifiedretirednurse,inWentworthandbySavetheChildreninUmzinto.
BasedonanapproachcalledBasicManagementbyObjectives,whichdrivestheworkoftheorganisation,thepurposeofthesurveywastogetthefacts,buildupadditionalinformationfromthereanddevelopanimplementationplan.
SavetheChildrenfoundthatthesurveyprovidedaccuratequantitativedatathatidentifiedtheneedswithinthecrèchecommunity.Inparticular,theinfrastructureneedsrelatingtoWASHaregreat.Mostcrèches,especiallythoseinUmzinto,areunder-resourcedanddonothaveadequateWASHfacilities.
Duetobudgetconstraints,andnotbeingabletojustifyprovidinginfrastructureforonecrècheratherthanallofthoseinneed,SavetheChildrenfocusedonactingasafacilitatortolinkrelevantstakeholderswithcrèchestoassistinobtainingthenecessaryresources.
staKeholder WorKshoPs
ToensurecommunityparticipationintheAACESprogram,SavetheChildrentargetedstakeholderswithineachoftheabovesectors.Priortothisprogram,thepartnerorganisationalreadyinteractedwithECDcentresthroughlocalareabasedcrècheforumsatwhichissuesaffectingthecrèchesonanongoingbasisarediscussed.SavetheChildrenfacilitatedWASHdiscussionswithtwolocalareaforumsthatrepresentedcrèchesinWentworthandUmzinto.Thisenableddiscussionstostartatagrassrootslevelduringtheprocess,includingduringimplementationwhenWASHwasontheagendaofthemonthlycrècheforummeetingsthatinvolved44crèches.
Toengagewithstakeholders,SavetheChildrenorganisedspecificmeetingsthatinvolvedcrècherepresentatives,governmentandotherrelevantstakeholders.Thestakeholderswereidentifiedasaresultofhavingpreviouslyattendedcrècheforums,orhavingbeenreferredtoSavetheChildrenbyotherstakeholders.ThreestakeholdermeetingswereheldinbothWentworthandUmzinto.
Intargetingfamiliesandthebroadercommunity,SavetheChildrenmadeuseofmediaarticlestodisseminateinformationandcrèchessharedinformationatparentmeetings.
InWentworthgovernmentstakeholdersrespondedpositivelytotheinvitationtoattendSavetheChildren’smeetingsandsubsequentlyshowedtheircommitmenttosupporttheprocess.RepresentativesincludedtherelevantdepartmentsfromeThekwiniMunicipalityandsomeprovincialgovernmentrepresentatives.
TherewasapoorresponsefromgovernmentstakeholderstoattendthemeetingsinUmzinto,butthecrècheswerewellrepresentedatallthestakeholdermeetings.
SavetheChildrenKZNengagingaroundtheAACES WASHProgramwiththecommunityinUmzinto.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
18
SavetheChildrenpresentedanoverviewoftheWASHprogramatthefirststakeholdermeeting.ThisincludedprovidingastatusquoreportofWASHinthecrèchesinbothareas.DuringadiscussionfacilitatedbySavetheChildren,stakeholdersweregivenanopportunitytosharetheirareasofexpertiseandtheirviewsonhowbesttheycouldsupportWASHinitiatives.
DuringtheWentworthmeetingtherewasanopportunitytodiscussareasofcollaborationandsupportanddifferentstakeholderswereabletoopenlysharetheirviewsabouttheproject.Oneofthestakeholdersraisedquestionsaroundsustainabilityofprojectsandproposedthatthisprojectshouldpaveawayforaprocessinwhich“civilsocietyengageswithgovernmentinaprolongedandsustainableproject”.
6.2.3 reflections
community and staKeholder ParticiPation
ThepositiveresponseinWentworthwasattributedtothegoodrelationshipthathasbuiltovertimebetweenthecrècheforumandtheeThekwiniMunicipalitywhichservicestheWentwortharea.
WhilestakeholderresponsewasveryslowinUmzinto,otherorganisationsworkingintheareareportsimilarexperiences.NGOsreportedthatcouncillorsaresupportive,butnotinfluentialwithinthecommunityanditisdifficulttogetbuyinfromgovernmentstakeholders.
Therewasongoingcommunication,includingphonecalls,faxesandemails,fromSavetheChildrentogetstakeholderstoparticipateintheprocess.Itrequiredmuchpersistencetogetgovernmentrepresentativestosimplyattendthestakeholdermeeting.
engaging With other staKeholders
SavetheChildren’sfocusfortheAACESprojecthasbeenonfacilitatingthelinkagesbetweenrelevantstakeholdersandthecrèchesandbuildingcapacityofthecrèchestolobbyrelevantstakeholders.
Duringthestakeholdermeetings,variousrepresentativesfromtheeThekwiniMunicipalitysharedinformationondifferentWASH-relatedinitiativesthatthemunicipalitywasundertakingtowhichtheAACESprojectcouldbealigned.TheDepartmentofHealthwasparticularlyexcitedthatSavetheChildrenwaslookingatWASHwithinthecrèchecommunity.Theycommentedthat“ithadbeenignoredforalongtime”,asreportedbyarepresentativeofSavetheChildren.
Itbecameapparentthatotherswouldgetinvolvedoncesomeonestartedaprocess.ThiswasevidentinWentworthwherealocalgovernmentofficeassistedwithcleaningatoneofthecrèchesaspartofNelsonMandeladay.Inaddition,alocalbusinessthathadreadaboutWASHinlocalWentworthpublicationsassistedbyprovidingpaint.ArepresentativefromtheDepartmentofSocialDevelopmentalsostatedatastakeholdermeetingthatthedepartmenthadbeguntorecognisethathomeplaycentresarenotgoingawayandthatthegovernmenthavetofindawaytosupportthem.
information and aWareness relating to Wash
TherewasageneralpositiveresponsefromthemembersofthecrècheforuminUmzinto,eventhoughtherewasapoorturnoutbygovernmentstakeholders.Thecommunity
19
memberswhoparticipatedintheprocessfeltthatitwasusefulforsharingexperienceandknowledgeandonepersoninterviewedsaidshe“learntalot”fromtheprocess.HygienewasidentifiedduringtheseprocessesasoneofthechallengesrelatingtoWASH.
However,raisingawarenessthroughthisprocesshadapositiveimpactandisregardedashavinginfluencedbehaviourwithcrèchesfocusingincreasinglyonhygieneandcleanlinessandimplementinggoodhygienepracticesthatthestaffhadlearnedthroughtheWASHprocesses.Theseincludedfindingwaystodisposeofdisposablenappies,ratherthansendingsoilednappieshomewiththechildren,aswellasimprovingthecleanlinessofthechildcarefacilities.
AclinicsisterinUmzintoalsoaddedinputintoanassessmenttoolthatcanbeusedtomonitorthehealthandhygienestandardsatthecrèchesandtogivesupport.
However,SavetheChildrenfoundthatWASHisabigandcomplexissueinvolvingmanyaspectsthatarelinkedtooneanother.Theseincludehealth-relatedmatters,nutritionandwater.
revieW and clarification of oWn role
Fromanorganisationalpointofview,WASHhadnotbeenaprimaryfocusofSavetheChildreninthepast.Thismeantthattheorganisationhadtore-focusonwhatcouldbedeliveredgiventhecapacityofstaffmembers.Asaresult,theorganisation’sobjectiveinthisregardisaboutchangingattitudesthroughparticipation,whichwillleadtoachangeinbehaviour,whichwilleventuallyresultinachangeinstandardsforcrèchesthatwillallowthemtoapplyforconditionalregistration.
Inaddition,beingunabletoprovideinfrastructure,whichwasthegreatestneedemergingfromthecrèchecommunity,SavetheChildrenrecognisedthatitsrolewasasafacilitatorinlinkingrelevantstakeholderswithcrèches.
Project limitations
TheAACESinitiativeshavebeenlimitedtotwocrècheforumsandtheseforumsareagoodchannelfortheinformationastheyarewellorganisedandeasytomobilise.Othercrècheforumsalsowanttogetinvolved,butareunabletodosoatthepresenttimeduetolimitedresources.Theydo,however,receiveinformationthroughacrècheforumassociation,whichservesasanumbrellastructureforcrècheforums.
TherewasageneralpositiveresponsefromthemembersofthecrècheforumsinUmzinto.However,theresponsefromgovernmentstakeholderswaspoor.Nevertheless,duringtheconsultativemeetingthecrèchecommunityandSavetheChildrenwereabletocommunicatetheirexpectationsandoutlinetheenvisagedprocess.
6.3 fancy stitch
6.3.1 the organisation
FancyStitchhasworkedwithdifferentcommunitiesintheIngwavumaareaonHIVandfoodsecurityformanyyears.Previousworkinvolvedtheinstallationofwatertanksforwaterharvestingforoneofthecommunitygardensinthearea.FancyStitch’sworkbuildsontheorganisationsownexperienceofworkingwiththecommunity.ThemainfocusoftheworkisfoodsecurityinthecontextofHIVandsoWASHbecomesanimportantcomponentinstrengtheningfoodsecurity,and,morespecifically,vegetablegardenprojects.
CommunitymeetinginIngwavuma,NorthernKwaZulu-NatalaroundtheAACESWASHProgramatFancyStitch.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
21
6.3.2 aaces activities
community meetings
FancyStitchheldpublicmeetingswiththethreecommunities–Mambuzikazi,KwelelaniandMachobeni–thattheyhadplannedtoworkwithaspartoftheAACESprogram.
About50peopleattendedaninitialmeetingfortheMambuzikaziandKwelelanicommunities.ThetwocommunitiesfallunderoneInduna,who,asiscommonpractice,facilitatedthemeeting.FancyStitchstaffmembers,whowerealreadyawarethatawindpumpintheareawasnotworking,askedmembersofthecommunitytoexplain,fromtheirownexperiences,whatishappeningwithregardtoWASHinthecommunity.Thecommunityexplainedthedifficultiestheywereexperiencinginaccessingwatersincethewindpumphadbrokenandthatthemunicipalityhadnotundertakenanyrepairs.
FancyStitchstaffmembersaskedparticipantstodiscusshowtheywantedtoresolvetheproblemsbeingfacedbythecommunity.Followingthesediscussionsandbrainstorming,thecommunitycameupwithdifferentideas,whichincludedputtingupasteelshedandfixingthewindpump.AfteranexplanationfromFancyStichregardingthecostsoftheproposedoptions,thecommunitymemberswereaskedtothinkaboutwhatactionstheycouldaffordtotakeiftheyworkedtogetherwithFancyStitch.
Thecommunityproposedthatitprovidedthelabourforthewindpumptobefixed–thiswouldrequirethediggingofa2.5kmpipeline–andFancyStitchagreedtoobtainfundingtobuythenecessarymaterial.
Theneedforacommitteetooverseethisworkinthecommunitywasalsodiscussedduringthemeeting.AWASHcommitteewassubsequentlyselectedatasecondcommunitymeeting.Membersofthecommunityincludedayoungwoman,adisabledwoman,threemenandtheInduna.
FancyStitchfollowedthesameprocessinMachobeniand,whilepeoplesaidtheyhadproblemsaccessingwater,theywerenotveryclearabouttheirspecificconstraints,theconditionofthewatersourcesandwhattheywantedtoprioritise.AsaresultFancyStitchfeltthecommunitymembersdidnotunderstandexactlytheextentoftheprobleminMachobeni.Followingtwosimilarmeetingscommunitymembers,includingawomen’sgroup,wereabletobetterarticulatetheirspecificwaterneeds.Theydecidedtheywantedatrenchtobebuiltandthattherewasaspringthatneededtobeprotected.
community mobilisation
InMachobenioneofthegroupsofwomenthatFancyStitchworkswithwantedasteelshelterforharvestingrainwatersoastogrowvegetablesinwinter.TheygottoknowaboutthesuccessofthesteelshelterinEsihlangweni(anothercommunitywhereFancyStitchworkswithawomen’sgroup).TheyaskedFancyStitchtoconveneacommunitymeetingtodiscussthewaterneeds.FancyStitchadvertisedthemeetingthroughputtingpostersupatallpublicareasandinvitedcouncilrepresentatives.Thiswasadvertisedasanopenpublicmeeting.
Holdingcommunitymeetingsisthenormalpracticeinthesecommunitieswhenthereareissuesthataffectthecommunityasawhole.TherehavebeenongoingcommunitymeetingssincethestartoftheWASHactivitiesinallthesecommunities.
22
the Way forWard
Futureplansincludeprovidingwaterharvestinginfrastructureandsomesanitationinfrastructure.Therearealsoplansforprotectingwatersourcesandrepairingothers.Inaddition,plansareinplaceforFancyStitchtoprovidesupportandtechnicaltrainingtothecommitteesthatoverseeWASHinthesecommunitiesandincreaseaccesstoWASHservices,includingtheprovisionofmorewatertanks.
6.3.3 reflections
community ParticiPation
ThecommunityrespondedpositivelytotheengagementsbyFancyStitchandsetupcommitteesthatwererunningwellatthetimeofthisresearch.Womenhadleadingrolesinthecommitteesandgenderdynamicswerewellmanaged.Thecommitteearticulatedtheneedsofthecommunityandreachedconsensusonhowresourcesshouldbespent.Thecommitteealsodefinedwhatrolethecommunitywouldplayandmembersfelttheycouldtakedecisionsaboutwhatshouldbeachievedinthecommunity.However,linkedtothis,thecommitteewasalsoawareofitslimitationsandclearabouttheroleofFancyStitchintheproject.
TheengagementbetweenthecommunityandFancyStitchcontinuedthroughouttheproject,togetherwiththeongoingidentificationofcommunityneeds.CommunitycommitteesalsocontinuedtotakeresponsibilitytobeabletomanagetheirownactivitiesandrelylessonFancyStitch.Anexampleofthisisthecommitmentfromthecommunitytodigthetrench.
Theprocessesofbringingpeopletogetherinmeetingsreallystrengthenedcommunityrelations,accordingtoonecommunitymemberwhosaid“ourcommunitywasdisintegratedandthishashelpedinbringingourpeopletogether”.
Participantsreportedthattheywereabletoproposesolutionsatthemeetings.Forexample,mostwomenmentionedthedangerstheyfacewhengoingalonetofetchwaterfromtherivers.Asaresult,communitymembersproposedatthemeetingstomakearrangementsforthewomentogointeams.Themeetingsensuredthat,inthewordsofonecommunitymember,“noonewouldbeleftout”.Adisabledladywholivesalonewasidentifiedtoreceiveasuitabletoiletonherproperty.
Somemembersofthecommunitysawthevalueofpeoplemobilisingthemselvestodosomethingabouttheirownproblemsandthemeetingsinspiredthemtotakeinitiative.Anothercommunitymembercommentedthatputtinginhardworkthemselveswillensurethatpeoplelookaftertheresourcesbecausetheywillalwaysrememberthatitwas“theirsweatandtime”.
FancyStitchacknowledgesthatcommunityparticipationiscrucialasthereismuchvaluableinputthatcanbemissedifcommunitiesarenotconsulted.Atthesametimeitisimportanttonotethatcommunitiesdiffer,somearemorehomogenousthanothersanditisimportanttobeopenaboutaprocess.
Processesofcommunityparticipationrequireprotocoltobeobserved.Initiativescanbehinderediftheseprotocolissuesarenotmanagedproperly.
23
Intheimplementationstage,anotheraspectthatwasfoundtobecrucialistheevendisbursementofresourceswithincommunitygroupsinordertominimiseconflict.Forexample,thewatertanksenvisagedforthewomen’sgrouphavetobesharedwiththecommunitytoensurethatother’sbenefitfromtheresources.
engaging With other staKeholders
Takingtheinitiativeresultedininteractionbetweenthecommunityandthemunicipalityafteranofficialinsistedthatthecommunitywasnotauthorisedtofixthewindpump.Thecommunityhadbeenrequestingforalongtimethatthemunicipalityfixthepumpandhadreceivednoresponse.Afterdiscussionsthemunicipalityadmittedfaultandallowedthecommunitytocontinue.Thisshowsthecommitmentbythecommunityinowningtheprocess.
TheneedforpoliticaldynamicstobestrategicallymanagedatopencommunitymeetingswasexpressedwithregardtotheFancyStitchinitiatives.Thisisbecausepoliticallyinterestedpeoplemayseekopportunitiestodivertthefocusofameeting.
revieW and clarification of oWn role
Withregardtodeliveringinfrastructure,FancyStitchemphasisedtheimportanceofbeingopenfromthestartofdiscussionsaboutthewaystheorganisationmightbeabletoassistandtheaspectswithwhichitmightnotbeabletohelp.
information and aWareness relating to Wash
TheneedformoredetailedinformationregardingWASHresourcesandpracticesinthecommunitybecameevidentduringtheAACESproject.Informationthatwassharedatopenmeetingswasmostlyofaverygeneralnatureandpeoplewerevagueaboutdetailsattimes.Asaresult,FancyStitchstaffidentifiedaneedtoconductahouseholdsurvey.
6.4 tholulWaZi uZiviKele
6.4.1 the organisation
TholulwaziUzivikele(TU)workswith48villagesthataredispersedacrossthebroaderManguziarea.Theorganisation’sfocusisbroad,butintegratedaroundHIV,andorphansandvulnerablechildren.TheentirecommunitywithinwhichTUworksisverybigandexperiencesofWASHresourcesandservicesaresimilarinsomeaspects,butdifferentinothers.
6.4.2 aaces activities
forum drama
Followingthebaseline,whichwasconductedinoneofthe48villages,TU’smainfocuswasonraisingcommunityawarenessonWASHissues.Thisinvolvedincorporatingdrama,whichhasbeentheorganisation’smainmethodologyusedinthepast.
TUmadeuseofatechniquecalledsocio-dramatopography(SDT),whichwasdevelopedbyaCanadianorganisationcalledAidingDramaticChangeinDevelopment(ADC).TU’srelationshipwithADCdatesbackto2007whenTU’sstaffmembersweretrainedaspartofaprogramthatfocusedonforumdramaforyouthwiththeobjectiveofeffectingbehaviourchangeinrelationtoHIVandAIDS.
24
FortheAACESprogram,ADCworkedwithTUstafftodevelopanewprocess,usingthesamemethodology,toengagewiththecommunity.ThefocuswasontheattitudesofpeopletofacilitateaprocesswherepeoplewouldembracechangewithregardtoWASHissues.Whilethepreviousworkusingthemethodologyfocusedonyouth,thenewinitiativeinvolvedadaptingactivitiesandahighleveloffacilitation.Itprovedtobeamorerobustwaytoachievethelevelofengagementtheywanted,butdidrequireinvestmentinthefacilitationofthemethod.Thenewdesignwasinitiallytestedandassessedbycommunityvolunteersbeforeitwasfacilitatedwiththecommunity.
Toimplementtheinitiative,TUselectedfivevillages,whichwerefairlyrepresentativeofthetypeofcommunitiesinwhichtheorganisationworks,andplannedthree-dayworkshops,withafourthdayforfollowupsubsequenttotheinitialworkshops.Thefivevillageseachexperiencedoneofthefollowingfeatures:aprotectedwetland,anunprotectedwetland,shallowwater,municipalwatersupplyandalowwatersupply.
Thecommunityentrywasfacilitatedbyfirstmeetingwiththelocaltraditionalauthority.TUstaffexplainedthepurposeoftheworkshopandclarifiedthatitwasnotrelatedtotheprovisionofservices.TheIndunatheninvitedthewholecommunitytoameetingatwhich35peoplewererecruitedthroughaninvitationtothosewhowerewillingtoparticipateandwhohadaninterestindiscussingwaterandsanitation-relatedissuesthataffectedtheircommunity.Inalltheworkshopsitwasmostlywomenwhoparticipated.Thiscouldbebecausethewomenweremoreeagertoparticipateasaresultofthemoftencarryingtheburdeninrelationtowaterissues.
Thefirstdayoftheworkshopfocusedonthesocialpresenceofpeople,orwherepeoplefindthemselves,withtheaimofbuildingasenseofinclusion.Itincludedthefacilitationofnon-verbaldialogueexercises,whichconnectedparticipantstoeachother,andfocusedonre-conditioningpeoplethroughtheremovalofsocialbarriers.
Ontheseconddayparticipantsplotteddetailsaboutthelocalareaandexploredissuesrelatingtowaterchallengesusingalargecommunitymap.Thethirddaywasaboutpeopletellingstoriesoftheirownexperiencesingroupsandpresentingtheseindramatotheotherparticipants.Thismethodusesthetheoryofplaytherapy,butinthiscaseforadults.ItessentiallyinvolvedpeopledramatisingtheirexperiencesofaccessingWASHintheircommunitiesthroughactingoutdifferentscenariosfromtheirdailylives.
TwoweekslaterthesamegroupfromTUreturnedtothecommunityforthefourthday,whichgaveparticipantstheopportunitytoreflectonwhattheyhadlearnedanddevelopinternalandexternalsolutions.
6.4.3 reflections
community dialogue
Membersofthecommunitywhoparticipatedintheprocessfeltthattheylearnedalotfromtheseprocesses.Thisincludedlearningabouttheircommunityandbeingabletoidentifywithothersinthecommunitywhentheyrealised,asmentionedbyonecommunitymember,thatthey“arenotalone”inexperiencingdifficultyaccessingwater.
Duringonesession,whichwasobservedforthewritingofthispublication,peoplewereenthusiastic,opentotheprocessandfeltthattheworkshopwasanicewayoflearningandsharingtheirexperiences,particularlyastheyrelatedtheirstrugglesinaccessingwater.
Localwomenwashingtheirclothesinwatercarriedinwaterstoragedrumsfromsourcesinthearea.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
26
Participantssaidtheywere“learningalot”abouttheircommunity.TheyreflectedontheSDTworkshopasanopportunitytothinkaboutthecommunity’shistorywithregardtowaterandsanitation.Theprocessalsohelpedthemrealisetheimpactofwateraccessissuesandthattheydidnotknowthebroadervillageverywell,withmostpeopleonlyknowingtheareasnexttowheretheylive.
the use of forum drama
Theuseoftheforumtheatremethodinwhichpeoplere-livedtheirdailyexperiencesandstrugglesofwateraccessandlackofsanitationresourceswasregardedasvaluableasitenabledTUtogetfirsthandexperienceandunderstandingofthestruggleswithinthecommunity.
Itwasobservedthatpeoplefoundtheprocessveryenjoyableandafunexperience.Althoughthelevelofilliteracyamongstparticipantswashigh,thisaspectwasnotexposedduringtheworkshopsandTUavoidedtheeffectiveprocessofengagementbeinghinderedasaresult.TheSDTmethodenabledmembersofthecommunitytoparticipatefreelyandsharetheirknowledgeinanon-threateningway.
information and aWareness relating to Wash
Withregardtoresearchdata,itwasapparentthatfurtherfocusisneededonthisaspect.Thebaselinewasconductedinjustonevillageandcapturedabroadpicture,withoutthespecificdetailspertinenttoindividualvillages.
Inaddition,usingtheSDTmethodmeantthatpeople’sexperiencesweredocumentedthroughtherecordingofpicturesandmaps,ratherthanresearchdata,whichwouldhavehadotheruses.
Neverthelessitwasevidentthattheprocesscreatedasignificantawarenessonwaterandsanitationissues.
Project limitations
TUfoundthesixmonthtimeframeprovidedbyOxfamAustraliawastooshortfortheimplementationofthisproject.Theprocessofcommunityengagementcanbealengthyonebecauseitstartsfromthepointofnegotiationwithcommunityleadersatthebeginningoftheprocessandshouldconcludewithafollowthroughtoensureimplementation.
Inaddition,theAACESprojectfocusedonprovidingaplatformforpeopletotalkabouttheirownexperiences,toproposesolutionsandidentifywhoshouldtakeresponsibilityforimplementation.Asaresult,TUstaffexpressedtheneedfortheorganisationtorevisitthecommunitytoassesswhetherimplementationofinternalsolutionshadtakenplace.
engaging With other staKeholders
ItwasevidentduringthisprocessthatthereisalimitationastotheWASHresourcesandservicesTUcandeliveronitsown.Asaresult,TUintendedtoworkcloselywithMDIC(theorganisationthatispartoftheAACESinitiative,butnotincludedinthisreport)onengagingmunicipalstructuresbecauseofthedifficultiesfacedinbuildingtheserelationships.
27
Inconclusion,therearefiveoverarchingthemesthatcanbeidentifiedandareexplainedinthissection.
7.1 the baseline and tools used
ConceptualisingtheWASHcomponentsandtheirlinkageswasnoteasyformanyofthestaffmembersinvolvedinthisproject.TheWASHconceptwasviewedasnewbysome,andsomefounditdifficulttoviewWASHasasanitationandhygieneissue,notjustasawaterissue.AninitialWASHawarenessraisingworkshop,facilitatedbyOxfam,highlightedWASHlinkages,butthePRAprocesssoughttoopenthedebatefurther,bringcommonunderstandingtopartnersandstakeholdersandtoalignactivitiesoftheselectedAACESpartners.
TheuseofacombinationofPRAtoolsforthebaselinewascertainlyvaluableinthatitenabledthecommunitiestotelltheirownstoriesandtoreflectontheirownhistoryinrelationtoWASH.Italsobroughttogetherpeoplefromdifferentgenerationswhoweregiventheopportunitytointeractandlearnfromeachother.Forexample,youngerpeoplewereabletolearnmoreaboutthehistoryoftheirareathroughtimelines.GiventheconstraintsregardingconceptualisingWASHinthecontextofpartner’sprograms,priordiscussionsbetweenLimaandeachindividualpartnerwouldhavefacilitatedtheprocessofaligningandfindingsynergiesacrossprograms.ThiscouldhavealsoassistedinLima’sprocesstoadaptaccordingtoeachofthepartners’needs.
7.2 context sPecific Processes
Eachofthepartner’scommunitycontextsisdifferentandthereforeanyinteractionwiththecommunitywouldhavetocaterforthesecontext-specificdifferencesandeachprocesswouldneedtobeadjustedaccordingly.ThereisageneralsensethatpreliminaryconsultationwithpartnersandgettinganagreementontheprocessforeachpartnerwouldhaveenabledLimatoadapttheprocesstoensurethatitwouldsuiteachpartner’scommunityprofile.Thiswouldallowfortheexplorationofopportunitiesforintegrationwithpartnerorganisation’sexistingworkinthecommunity.
7.3 community ParticiPation and mobilisation
Communityparticipationisacontinuousprocessofengagingwiththecommunitiesconcernedandthereisnosinglewaytoengagewiththecommunity.Theuseofdifferentmethodsbythepartnerstoencouragepeoplewithincommunitiestoparticipatebearswitnesstothisfact.CommunityparticipationhasbeenusedtounderstandtheproblemsfacingcommunitiesregardingWASHthroughallowingcommunitiestodefinethese,proposeandplanhowthesecanbeaddressed,formulateresponsesanddiscussrolesofdifferentstakeholdersandkeyroleplayersindeliveringtheresponses.
Thecasestudyhasalsodemonstratedthatthereisnosingleformulaforcommunitymobilisationaseachcommunityisdifferentandsomepartnersaredealingwitha‘varietyofcommunities’operatingatdifferentlevels.
Communityparticipationisnotwithoutchallengesandithasbeendemonstratedinthecasestudyhowthesebecomelessonsforfutureengagementandplanning.
7 overarching learning themes
AFancyStitchstaffmemberexplainsthatwatersecurityisamajorissueinruralcommunities.
PHOTO©MatthewWillman|Oxfam
29
7.4 imPlementation
Theimplementationprocesshas,toagreatextent,beeninformedbywhathascomeoutofthecommunityparticipatoryprocesses.Thisdoesnotmeanthatpartnershavesoughttorespondtoalloftheissuesthatwereraisedbythecommunities.However,theorganisationshavebeenrealisticabouttheircapacitytoimplementandmanagethewiderprogramthatWASHinitiativesbecameduringtheAACESprocess.
PartnersgenerallyhaveasenseofwhattheywouldliketodoregardingWASH.Someofthisisnotspecificallytodowithtechnicalaspectsandinfrastructure,althoughmostcommunitieshavearticulatedthesespecificneeds.However,thereareconstraintsregardingpartner’scapacitytodeliveratthisscale.
Somepartnershavebeenabletoclarifytheirroleasmoreofafacilitativeoneinlinkingthecommunitywithotherrelevantgovernmentstakeholdersintermsofserviceprovisionrelatedtowaterandsanitationissues.However,ithasnotbeenadequatelycapturedhowthisprocesswouldbemonitoredandwhatobjectivesthepartners,whohavechosenthisroute,havesetforthemselves.Thereisroomtoreflectontheissuesthathavenotfeaturedintheproposaldocumentsmovingforward,buthavebeenraisedasapriorityduringthecommunitydiscussions.
7.5 learning about Wash
TheAACESprojectsastheyhavefocusedonWASHhaveprovidedanopportunityforpartnerstolearn,shareandtrynewwaysofprogramming.TheinvolvementofLimaandotherpartners,suchasADC,hasbroughtinexternalexpertiseandthereforenewlearningintotheprogram.Someoftheseopportunitiesforlearninghavebeenmaximisedwhileothershavebeenveryminimal.Thetimefactorplaysaveryimportantroleasitcanlimitwhatcanbeachieved.
IntheinitialstagesofAACESitisevidentthattimeconstraintshavetendedtosomewhatconstraintheprocesstoacertainextent.Therearesometimestrade-offsbetweentimeandqualityofresultsandmostoftheseprocessesaretimeconsumingandthereforesufficienttimeshouldbefactoredinplanningtoallowforevolutionofprocesses.
AnotherareaoflearningrelatestotheintegrationofWASHintoexistingprogramming.Thisaspectneedstobeconsideredinfuture.
30
TheAACESWASHprogramhasbeenpositivelyreceivedbyawidevarietyofstakeholders,includingpartnersandthecommunitiestheyserve.Therearevaluablelessonsthatcanassistinthedesignandprogrammingmovingforward.Partnersarebetterawareoftheirowncapabilitiesandwhattheycandeliverinthenextphasesoftheprogram.Somepositiverelationshipshavebeenbuiltanditisimportantforthesetobesustained,othersareyettobebuiltanditwilltakeconsistenteffortbyallpartnerstoseethesecomingintofruition.
chambers, r.1997.WhoseRealityCounts?:PuttingtheFirstLast.Essex,England:LongmansScientificandTechnicalPublishers.NewYork:JohnWiley.
mukherjee, n., Kumar, v., jayaswal, m., jena, b.1997.LearningtoShareExperiencesandReflectionsonPRAandCommunityParticipation.NewDehli:ConceptPublishingCompany.
rhoades, r., and booth, r.1982.“Farmer-back-to-Farmer:AModelforGeneratingAcceptableAgriculturalTechnology”,AgriculturalAdministration11(2):127-137.
8 conclusion
references
32
title OccasionalPaper3:AACES*andpartnerbaselinedevelopmentinSouthAfrica (*AustraliaAfricaCommunityEngagementScheme)Published May2014
Publisher Oxfamauthor MakhosiWieseeditor CherylGoodenoughPhotos MatthewWillmandesign LUMOdesign&illustration(www.lumo.co.za)coPyright OxfamAustraliagivespermissionforexcerptsofthisbooktobephotocopiedorreproducedprovided thatthesourceisproperlyandclearlyacknowledged.disclaimer Theviewsinthispublicationarethoseoftherespectiveauthorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresentthose ofOxfamAustraliaoranyfundingagency.Theinterviewandreviewprocesswasparticipatoryandconsent aroundcontentandinclusionofpersonalinformationwasgiventoOxfambyinterviewees.contact details OxfamCountryOfficeinSouthAfrica Suite1B,StrathwayBuilding StrathmoreOfficePark 305MusgraveRoad Durban,4001 SouthAfrica Tel:+27(0)312010865 [email protected]
OxfamAustralia 132LeicesterStreet CarltonVIC3053 Australia Tel:+61(0)392899444 [email protected] www.oxfam.org.au
credits