Water and Sanitation

WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is the first line of defence against the coronavirus.

As one of the eight focus areas of the B4SA Economic Interventions Workgroup, the Water and Sanitation group will focus on delivering targeted emergency water response projects. It works to provide handwashing facilities in dense urban areas and providing community access to water for handwashing in rural areas. It seeks partnerships and sources funding for project implementation. It coordinates activities with corporate initiatives.

The working group coordinates its programme of action with the response efforts of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and local municipalities.

In addition to specific projects, the working group will promote WASH messaging and support initiatives to strengthen and sustain water security, both in the short and medium term during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the longer term.

By seeking partnerships for fundraising and implementation, the B4SA Water and Sanitation sub-workgroup, can focus efforts in communities and projects where its partners operate. In addition to funding sourced through the Solidarity Fund, the NBI offers a funding channel with Section 18(A) benefits. All donations will be ring fenced and managed by the NBI, under a separate water emergency fund. Established in 1995, the NBI is a registered public benefit organisation that, amongst other collective action programmes, administers funds on behalf of a number of programmes and undertakes a full external audit annually.