Building on existing hygiene promotion programmes, together with a 75 percent focus in rural areas, 2011 saw the GSF bringing key national partners together to design a programme of activities, many of whom will have a critical role to play in rolling out its programme, and awarding US$1,440,000 to a number of sub-grantees. With its predominant focus on rural areas and a further 25 percent focus on peri-urban areas, the GSFcontinues to steps up its efforts in more than 200 villages to promote sound sanitation and hygiene practice.
Broadly speaking, the GSF centres upon creating an enabling environment, through partnership-building at the local, national and regional levels, not only to promote sanitation and hygiene practices, through advocacy and awareness building for local government leaders as well as communities, but also through strengthening the sanitation supply chain.
Through AGETIP, its Executing Agency, the GSF will increase the use of participatory techniques such as Community-led Total Sanitation (ClTS) to end open defecation and create demand for toilets, and improve sanitation services for communities that have received little or non-existent sanitation. The impact of its work is expected to not only to be felt in terms of improved public health through reduction of diarrhoeal diseases, but also in education, particularly for girls.
Since its launch, the GSF programme’s development has involved a number of national stakeholders, including, PEPAM, UNICEF and WSP, as well as the national government.
In its work, GSF resources are being channelled towards promoting sanitation and hygiene in four of Senegal’s small urban centres, chiefly on demand creation, education and advocacy development, as well as information and promotion. In peri-urban areas, private sector involvement is being supported to help improve access.
Work is also focusing on strengthening the supply chain of sanitation. Phase II of programme implementation could also see further GSF support towards improvement of small-scale private sector performance.
