Liberia: USAID and Partners Begin Major Sanitation And Business Orientation Workshop in Gbarnga
Gbarnga — A three-day countywide sanitation activity and business partners orientation workshop is currently ongoing in Gbarnga, Bong County.
The workshop is part of a five-year USAID-funded sanitation project titled: “Countywide Sanitation Activity”. The project is being implemented by PSI Liberia, Concern Worldwide, Athena Infonomics and Gusceman, Inc.
Giving an overview of the project on Monday, July 17, Gusceman Countywide Sanitation Activity Business Development Manager, Emmanuel Diabolo, said the project aims to end open defecation and achieve universal adoption of basic sanitation.
Diabolo furthered that the project targets five of Liberia’s fifteen counties including Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Bassa and Montserrado counties.
“The project key objectives are set to be achieved through a strong collaborative and coordinated approach with key government actors, WASH stakeholders, and the private sector to achieve the overall outcome of 100% sustained adoption of basic sanitation in the targeted counties, ” Diabolo asserted.
Under the implementation framework of the USAID- Countywide Sanitation Activity, Gusceman is working to strengthen the long-term viability of sanitation enterprises through co-developing a product/service mix that enables them to reach more customers, diversify their products and services, and increase profits through greater margins and/or greater sales volume.
Mr. Diabolo further disclosed that the five-year project is a 30m United States Dollars initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
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Diabolo said about 72 business partners in Bong, Nimba and Lofa counties have been identified following the CWSA initial engagement of identification of business partners.
He said the purpose of the orientation session is to provide a clear insight to business partners about the goal of the Countywide Sanitation Activity (CWSA) market based approach for adoption and sustainability of business partners.
At the end of the three-day orientation session, CWSA will be able to understand the capacity building needs for identified business partners, set up market targets to enable product demand for community members and to serve as an agent for behavior change to end open defecation through a private sector engagement approach.
The business orientation workshop which is expected to end this Wednesday, has brought together business partners from Bong, Nimba and Lofa counties.
