Announcing an Exciting New Project with UNICEF

Water for South Sudan is thrilled to announce a new partnership with UNICEF to conduct a 9-month-long project this drilling season. The work will include 17 well rehabilitations; 12 new temporary latrines; 26 latrine rehabilitations; 38 handwashing facilities; 28 school hygiene clubs; hygiene kits to be given to girls and women; training of water committees and handpump mechanics; and hygiene education trainings to all 50 schools being served. The main targets for this project are primary schools and health clinics. UNICEF is contributing $348,000 to benefit approximately 25,000 community members.

We recently sat down with Ajang Abraham Agok, aka, AJ (Country Director), Riak Mabor (WASH Coordinator), and Simon Riek (WASH Engineer) to discuss the specifics and impact of this project. The implementation of these plans will primarily benefit minority women and children who are lacking access to clean water, therefore lacking hygiene knowledge and disease prevention. The overall goal for this partnership with UNICEF is to decrease malnutrition largely due to waterborne illnesses, increase the number of children enrolled in school, and increase the overall health of minority women and children.

“UNICEF is looking at this project from the perspective of a partnership. It’s about building the capacity of the national NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and to promote localization.” - WFSS Country Director Ajang “AJ” Agok

Localization in these vulnerable South Sudanese communities is vastly important so that they can continue to develop sustainability without relying on outside sources. This is becoming possible with the introduction of new resources and knowledge surrounding hygiene and sanitation. “This will build the capacity of the WFSS organization here in South Sudan,” says AJ. 

We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with UNICEF, an impactful organization that considers the functionality of the communities that it serves.