Nigeria
Health
Updates from the Field - Mor-sand Filters for Oil Producing Communities
Updates from the FieldUpdates from the Field (or Progress Reports) on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.com by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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Recent Updates from the Field
NGO evaluates rate of filter adoption
By Ijeoma Egbu - Project Research & Communication Officer, May 25, 2009 11:35 AM
An independent evaluation of the adoption rate of the Mor-sand filter and other water treatment options in selected communities in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria has been commissioned by Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP). One of the communities is Ipu west, in Owaza town of Abia State Nigeria. The Community was selected for the evaluation because unlike most communities in the region, it is relatively more peaceful. The town is made up of 4 Autonomous Communities with Ipu west as one of them. Ipu west is made up of 7 Villages headed by 7 Chiefs. The community is located 7 kilometers away from the busy Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Express road. The population of the Ipu west community is estimated at 45,000. A random population of 190 people was sampled during the evaluation.
The objective of the on-going evaluation was to access gaps in adoption and relating it to findings from other project areas with the aim of understanding how to bridge the gap at minimal cost. The evaluation amongst other things looked at water storage and treatment/filtration. The survey’s initial findings revealed that over 30% of the locals now treat their drinking water before use, unlike the previous 90% who were not treating their drinking water before the debut of the project in 2006. The percentage of those using Mor-sand filter rose from 0% in 2006 to 12% in 2009. About 15% of those treating their water were using treatment chemicals while less than 3% were using storage as treatment. Recorded factors against adoption in the community were ignorance (21%); indifference (32%); Cost (19%); poverty (25%) and others (3%). The finding also indicates a recorded rise of 13% over the initial 43% in 2006 that were using Jerry-Cans to store their drinking water. Other storage devices were open Buckets (now 12% from the previous 17%); Covered Drums (still unchanged from the initial 15%); Plastic Tanks (now 5%); and others (less than 20%).
Compared with earlier evaluations carried out in December 2006, access to water in the community has not advanced beyond what it used to be. The study revealed that in the community, Commercial private commercial boreholes still dominate (40%), while the percentage of those sourcing water from River and Stream sources was 17%, and the conjunctive use of rainwater from rainwater harvesting was 5%. It was also revealed that Jerry-Can containers were the major and commonly used water storing material. Generally, the distance covered and time spent by the inhabitants of the community to get their drinking water was between 0.5-1km, and often takes more than one hour. The consequence was that about 59% of the people do not get enough drinking water for their household. However, 93% of the locals agreed that water filtration/treatment enables healthier living while 7% were indifferent. There was also a consensus by the locals that improving and expanding their water sources was a pressing need and concern; though they still agreed water treatment is an expedient intervention in the community at the moment.
A community leader, Chief Ogbonna thanked the assessors for coming to his community for the assessment. According to him “It is good that you are here to do what the oil companies are not doing, please always find time to visit us because clean water is life”.
RAWDP is grateful to all supporters who provided funds that are enabling this work. Your feedback and questions about what we are doing is desired in order to better guide this process as the evaluation continues in other communities in the region. The final report will be published as one single document in January 2010.
The objective of the on-going evaluation was to access gaps in adoption and relating it to findings from other project areas with the aim of understanding how to bridge the gap at minimal cost. The evaluation amongst other things looked at water storage and treatment/filtration. The survey’s initial findings revealed that over 30% of the locals now treat their drinking water before use, unlike the previous 90% who were not treating their drinking water before the debut of the project in 2006. The percentage of those using Mor-sand filter rose from 0% in 2006 to 12% in 2009. About 15% of those treating their water were using treatment chemicals while less than 3% were using storage as treatment. Recorded factors against adoption in the community were ignorance (21%); indifference (32%); Cost (19%); poverty (25%) and others (3%). The finding also indicates a recorded rise of 13% over the initial 43% in 2006 that were using Jerry-Cans to store their drinking water. Other storage devices were open Buckets (now 12% from the previous 17%); Covered Drums (still unchanged from the initial 15%); Plastic Tanks (now 5%); and others (less than 20%).
Compared with earlier evaluations carried out in December 2006, access to water in the community has not advanced beyond what it used to be. The study revealed that in the community, Commercial private commercial boreholes still dominate (40%), while the percentage of those sourcing water from River and Stream sources was 17%, and the conjunctive use of rainwater from rainwater harvesting was 5%. It was also revealed that Jerry-Can containers were the major and commonly used water storing material. Generally, the distance covered and time spent by the inhabitants of the community to get their drinking water was between 0.5-1km, and often takes more than one hour. The consequence was that about 59% of the people do not get enough drinking water for their household. However, 93% of the locals agreed that water filtration/treatment enables healthier living while 7% were indifferent. There was also a consensus by the locals that improving and expanding their water sources was a pressing need and concern; though they still agreed water treatment is an expedient intervention in the community at the moment.
A community leader, Chief Ogbonna thanked the assessors for coming to his community for the assessment. According to him “It is good that you are here to do what the oil companies are not doing, please always find time to visit us because clean water is life”.
RAWDP is grateful to all supporters who provided funds that are enabling this work. Your feedback and questions about what we are doing is desired in order to better guide this process as the evaluation continues in other communities in the region. The final report will be published as one single document in January 2010.
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Mor-sand Water filter project enters 28th community, rebrands!
By Dorathy Onwumere - Executive Director, December 19, 2008 04:02 PM
Rural Africa Water Development Project’s “Mor-sand Filter for oil producing communities” has expanded into the 28th community, and installs a total of 21,023 filters for local households. This milestone is part of the project’s long term aim to produce and install 78,000 filters for 78,000 households serving well over 624,000 people in 78 dispersed communities by 2012.
According to the project coordinator, Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji; with the vastness of the Niger Delta — 187 local government areas, about 30 million peoples, 12 per cent of Nigeria’s surface area, 13,329 communities, with only 98 being urban centers, long coastlines and environments that are devastated, the challenge still remains very huge. This therefore necessitated the rebranding of the project from Mor-sand filters for oil producing communities, to “Project 78 for 78,000 filters in 2012”. He said that 78 clean water artisans have already been trained and are expected to man the proposed 78 water filter factories to be set up before the end of 2012. Each filter factory will accordingly be supported to manufacture 1000 filters by the end of the project year in 2012; …..‘’by so doing, we aim to produce 78,000 filters for 78,000 households’’..he said.
According to the project coordinator, as a means of monitoring progress toward the goals and objectives set for the project; Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP) in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder group that comprised of traditional institutions, government line ministries, Community Based Organizations and community volunteers etc. developed a core set of indicators for effective Monitoring and Evaluation. The objectives of the Monitoring and Evaluation includes the need to measure progress against objectives and performance standards, and to enable accountability to donors, partners and people affected by the project.
Speaking at the reception for RAWDP, a community woman; Madam Matilda Ogar said …“I thank this NGO for remembering us and teaching us how to make our water clean again, at least my son that has been idle since leaving college now work as a water artisan. For helping us solve a serious headache, our people are grateful to you and your supporters. May all your other good plans for us be rewarded with good health and prosperity by God almighty”
We are grateful to all our supporters’ who have assisted us raise every kobo so far used in producing and installation of a total of 21,023 filters for 21,023 Households; the training of 78 youths in this regards and the staging of participatory Water and Sanitation (WASH) classes for 39,522 men and 54,678 women in these communities. Though the task still remains enormous, but with you, we remain strong willed to continue. Your support cannot easily be quantified. We are grateful!
As the project courageously moves on, RAWDP invites all its supporters to feel free to ask questions and make suggestions that would enable us do better.
According to the project coordinator, Joachim Ibeziako Ezeji; with the vastness of the Niger Delta — 187 local government areas, about 30 million peoples, 12 per cent of Nigeria’s surface area, 13,329 communities, with only 98 being urban centers, long coastlines and environments that are devastated, the challenge still remains very huge. This therefore necessitated the rebranding of the project from Mor-sand filters for oil producing communities, to “Project 78 for 78,000 filters in 2012”. He said that 78 clean water artisans have already been trained and are expected to man the proposed 78 water filter factories to be set up before the end of 2012. Each filter factory will accordingly be supported to manufacture 1000 filters by the end of the project year in 2012; …..‘’by so doing, we aim to produce 78,000 filters for 78,000 households’’..he said.
According to the project coordinator, as a means of monitoring progress toward the goals and objectives set for the project; Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP) in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder group that comprised of traditional institutions, government line ministries, Community Based Organizations and community volunteers etc. developed a core set of indicators for effective Monitoring and Evaluation. The objectives of the Monitoring and Evaluation includes the need to measure progress against objectives and performance standards, and to enable accountability to donors, partners and people affected by the project.
Speaking at the reception for RAWDP, a community woman; Madam Matilda Ogar said …“I thank this NGO for remembering us and teaching us how to make our water clean again, at least my son that has been idle since leaving college now work as a water artisan. For helping us solve a serious headache, our people are grateful to you and your supporters. May all your other good plans for us be rewarded with good health and prosperity by God almighty”
We are grateful to all our supporters’ who have assisted us raise every kobo so far used in producing and installation of a total of 21,023 filters for 21,023 Households; the training of 78 youths in this regards and the staging of participatory Water and Sanitation (WASH) classes for 39,522 men and 54,678 women in these communities. Though the task still remains enormous, but with you, we remain strong willed to continue. Your support cannot easily be quantified. We are grateful!
As the project courageously moves on, RAWDP invites all its supporters to feel free to ask questions and make suggestions that would enable us do better.
Links:
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