An initiative conceived and implemented by the OVERDUE Mwanza team

*Onsite sanitation in steep rocky terrain remains a key challenge in Mwanza*

*Loan beneficiary from the Sanitation Fund with new toilet connected to the simplified sewerage system in Mabatini settlement, Mwanza*

The context

In Mwanza 75% of inhabitants live in informal settlements characterised by steep rocky terrain and limited space for infrastructure and services, relying mainly on inadequate onsite sanitation facilities and unsafe faecal sludge management practices, with a highly gendered impact that disproportionately affects women and girls. The public utility company in Mwanza has implemented a simplified sewerage component to enhance access to sanitation in informal settlements but their approach was centred around an expansion of the grid leaving onsite sanitation challenges in settlements far away from the sewerage network largely untouched. Existing funding models have thus far not led to improvements at scale and limited engagement of sanitation workers and users in developing sanitation systems have compromised inclusiveness, safety and sustainability.

The initiative

In response to these challenges, an interlinked set of activities in Mwanza aims to establish a multi-stakeholder platform that can advance gender-sensitive sanitation approaches and solutions through a dedicated sanitation fund and the implementation of guidelines to achieve sanitation for all, co-produced by government, (informal) sanitation workers, community-based organisations, ordinary citizens and the OVERDUE Project Team i.e. Ardhi University, Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) and the Development Planning Unit (DPU) of University College London.

*Launch of the Mwanza City Sanitation Forum endorsed by the District Commisioner*

The Process

The initiative towards co-produced sanitation for all in Mwanza presented here was designed by the OVERDUE team. It arises out of a 3-year action-research project with extensive research about the history of sanitation in the city as well as in-depth explorations of contemporary sanitation infrastructure and services and the actors involved.

After investigating Mwanza’s sanitation trajectory and conducting interviews, workshops, and meetings in Mwanza, the OVERDUE team designed a short innovative project towards co-produced sanitation.

The Mwanza City Sanitation Forum was formed in January 2023 with the election of a management committee composed of representatives from the Utility, Municipality, ward-level government, the Federation of the Urban Poor and OVERDUE project partners. This serves as a central platform to promote sanitation improvements across Mwanza, with an emphasis on informal settlements.

The Forum has launched a sanitation fund that provides loans for individual and collective sanitation improvements and is in the process of exploring how to support poorer households in need.

Membership of the forum further extends to sanitation workers, including community health workers, public toilet operators and manual pit emptiers.

Since April 2023, the Sanitation Fund has provided funding for 8 households to build a new toilet and 1 household to upgrade their existing facility across 3 informal settlements. This was largely through the provision of loans with one subsidy given to an elderly disabled women to provide her with a safe and accessible toilet facility. The construction of these facilities has generated significant interest within these settlements from other residents keen to access a loan from the fund for sanitation improvements.

The OVERDUE team is working with multiple actors to co-produce guidelines for sanitation workers and users to collaborate with municipal and utility actors to advance the delivery of safe sanitation facilities and services for all.

Next steps

In order to ensure the legacy of the OVERDUE Project in Mwanza City, institutionalisation of new structures and processes is important. To continue to support the delivery and improvement of sanitation for all, the following steps are critical :

Finalisation of the constitution of the Sanitation Forum, the guidelines for the operation of the Sanitation Fund and the guidelines for the delivery of safe sanitation for all and confirmation of the commitment of all actor groups;

Engagement with Regional Officials i.e. Regional Secretariat (RAS) ; Regional Health Officers. This is a critical stage for the Regional Authorities to understand and appreciate the work which OVERDUE, in collaboration with its partners in Mwanza city, have carried out including specific outputs, new governance structures and processes;

Engagement with the joint City Council Management (Nyamagana and Ilemela Municipal Councils). The aim is to get their buy-in and ownership of the Mwanza Sanitation Forum and Fund as well as the Guidelines to promote sanitation for all and seek inputs into how the these could be boosted;

Advocacy activities in collaboration with the Mwanza Sanitation Forum to sensitise and create ownership of the Guidelines and promote the Sanitation Fund, particularly in areas of Mwanza City with particular need for sanitation improvements.

Mobilisation of further resources and development of co-financing mechanisms to scale up sanitation loans to more areas and to support sanitation improvements for the most vulnerable households, particularly the elderly and female single-headed households.

Jointly with the Sanitation Forum prepare an Action Plan for follow-up regarding the institutionalisation and operation of the Forum and Fund and the implementation of the Guidelines.