Community Unifies for Well Maintenance
JEN establishes the management committee for borehole maintenance at each school when it comes to build wells so that the local residents can fix or maintain the wells by themselves.
Therefore we have found some issues for the past several years:
1.The committee is able to fix only small problems but when it comes to a big problem, there is no choice but to ask the local waterworks department.
2.It takes time for the waterworks department come to the site due to lack of staffers and budget.
3.The department does not have spare parts in stock and the parts are difficult to get in the area.
Therefore, JEN is trying to organize the experienced local repairmen who are getting to have better skills in Lainya County. We are also making a system so that the local residents and private repairmen cooperate to maintain the wells, not to depend on the government. Regarding spare parts, the repairmen association manages the stock so as not to be out of stock. At the same time, we encourage the government to support the communication between the highly public association and the residents.
The other day, we offered training for member repairmen to reconfirm their skills.
(They are reconfirming their skills.)
Mr. John Rado said, “I reaffirmed through the foundation of the association that we repairmen are responsible for the borehole maintenance, not the government. Some communities are thinking about asking the borehole maintenance to us so now I am studying about the contract with my collegue.” He is an original member of the foundation as a repairman.
JEN is promoting independence support for communities in order that they can maintain their wells for themselves by making a private association centered in the “housing-public-private” network, not depending only on the government.
January 26, 2012 in South Sudan | Permalink