Amref’s focus in WASH aims to ensure that communities have adequate capacity to develop, operate and maintain their water sources as well as improve sanitation and hygiene practices in a sustainable way with a view to preventing and controlling water- and sanitation-related diseases while improving nutrition and livelihoods. In this process, Amref facilitates the availability and installation of hardware and facilitates society mechanisms that ensure hardware remains functional, with optimum use of the water available to ensure maximum health benefits. The aim is to increase access to safe and adequate water; increase access and use of appropriate sanitation facilities; promote safe hygiene practices at the household level, health facility level, public spaces in the communities, etc, and in schools; contribute to control and prevention of endemic WASH-related diseases, and respond to selected WASH-related disease outbreaks in areas of operation.
Improved Health (FINISH), attributed to substantially scaling up access and use of safe sanitation through improved behavioral change to increase demand for improved toilet facilities, increased availability and affordability of sanitation products and services through a partnership with financial institutions and sanitation service providers, strengthened WASH governance and institutional framework, leading to sustainable WASH services, and inclusive Financing for Sanitation Systems Investments in Mwanza and Mara regions. Sanitation and Hygiene projects in Mbeya contribute to accelerating the national sanitation strategies, goals, and targets by improving sanitation coverage through increased demand, improving the quality of services provision, and the public-private partnership.
Other projects under the WASH portfolio include WASH and Women Empowerment (WAWE) and Water and Development Alliance (WADA), which both sustainably improve the health and socioeconomic status of women and youth through increased access to water and sanitation services. Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition (HBCC) Project reduces the transmission of COVID-19 among communities through increased stakeholders’ engagement, community awareness, and WASH use and behavior. Taka Mali Na Afya Project contributes to improved health, income, and human well-being of the urban poor communities (women, youth, and pupils) in Ilala Municipality Council through solid waste, fecal sludge, and menstrual hygiene management enterprise. Lastly, Pro-Poor Sanitation project being implemented in schools improves the health and well-being of the urban poor pupils (adolescent girls) through water, sanitation, and hygiene management in 20-schools of Ilemela municipal council in Mwanza.