This document briefly describes the background, objectives and methodology of the East Africa Practitioners Workshop on Pro-Poor Urban Sanitation and Hygiene, held at LAICO Umubano Kigali on 29th-31st of March 2011.
Published on: 27/03/2011
A regional practitioners' workshop on pro-poor urban sanitation and hygiene was held at LAICO Umubano on 29th-31st of March 2011. Hosted by the Ministry of Health, this event was part of a longer term regional sharing and learning process which was initiated in 2007 in Moshi (Tanzania) with the highly successful practitioners’ seminar on rural sanitation and hygiene. This new regional learning event was jointly organised and supported by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, GIZ, UNICEF, WaterAid and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).
The rationale for this practitioners’ workshop on urban sanitation and hygiene included:
Some of the main objectives of this regional workshop were therefore to:
This event brought together about 60 professionals working on urban sanitation and hygiene in East Africa, particularly practitioners, researchers, policy makers, people from government agencies, donors and media. It provided a space for enhancing information exchange, learning and sharing of experiences and lessons, encouraging practitioners to reflect critically on factors for improved performance and effect, and documented these lessons and practices.
The workshop promoted a high level of interaction and debate among participants. Presentation of case studies and photo essays was followed by joint analysis of success factors and hindrances, as well as the identification of key lessons, promising strategies and approaches for improving sanitation for the urban poor.
Results and recommendations from this workshop will be presented during various regional and international events such as the upcoming 3rd African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene (AfricaSan 3, Kigali, July 2011) and the Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene (Mumbai, October 2011).