The national CIEPA/WASH Coalition (la Campagne Internationale pour l'Eau potable et l'Assainissement) was formed in 2007 to create a unified voice to increase sustainable access to adequate water and sanitation services for vulnerable people through advocacy, campaigning and policy support. It seeks to do this by:
- drawing key decision-makers’ attention to the nature, importance and impact of the water and sanitation crisis and the urgency of addressing it effectively;
- taking urgent action in the water and sanitation sector to save lives and reduce poverty.
Lobbying and advocacy on policies: Arguing for improvements in water and sanitation services is the key area of the coalition. Its efforts achieved considerable success:
- more than 142,000 signatures were collected in a petition lobbying for more attention to water and sanitation issues and presented to the African Union and G8 summits;
- in recent years the campaign has engaged the President of the Republic in the sanitation discussion, which has contributed to the development of the National Sanitation Policy;
- the President and his senior colleagues have given increased attention to sanitation since 2008, the International Year of Sanitation.
Campaigns:
- it has actively enlisted celebrities, mobilized a range of groups, and designated outstanding educators as WASH Ambassadors;
- its celebration of World Toilet Day included a TV debate with stakeholders about sanitation issues, and it marked Global Handwashing Day and World Toilet Day as well.
Building partnerships and capacities – the coalition held:
- a training seminar for 15 parliamentarians;
- a training workshop on policy analysis and budget tracking for 40 national civil society organizations.
Media – the coalition:
- produced interactive radio programmes, TV broadcasts aired around National Handwashing Day, and other events;
- supported the Journalist Network for Water and Sanitation to organize media awareness activities around WASH.
