Sanitation is still a considerable problem in Ethiopia. An important effort is being made by the government to reduce open field defecation; many of these latrines are not of good quality and not clean so it may even contribute to spread diseases as they are often located close to the houses and a very important source for fly breading. A related issue is that dirty latrines do not encourage good hygiene practices and often water and soap (or ash) is not readily available close to the latrines.
GLoWS was developed in response to this situation. It is a problem-based learning approach that focuses on helping the trainees assess/frame WASH problems appropriately, and define practical actions to solve them. A key feature is that the training is provided to water professionals right at their workplace. This is important as government water bureaus in Ethiopia are under immense work pressure and cannot afford to let their staff go away for training for long periods of time. Trainers from local vocational training centres provide support and supervision from time-to-time. There is also a lot of focus on peer-to-peer learning and group work.
GLoWS was developed by MetaMeta, with support from Partners for Water, RiPPLE, IRC, SNV, WASTE, RAIN Foundation and UNICEF.
More info: GLOWS@metameta.nl
Produced by: TheWaterChannel
Year: 2013
Language: English
Region: Ethiopia
