Participants in the 2011 East Africa Women and Water Training Program share their hopes and aspirations to be leadership icons in addressing water and sanitation challenges in their communities
Global Women’s Water Initiative’s Trainers
Elizabeth Akinyi Obiero,Kisumu, Kenya
Elizabeth Akinyi Obiero
Elizabeth is a GWWI Technology Trainer and a 2008 Grassroots Training Graduate. She is a professional nurse and counselor who has participated in a wide variety of community health workshops. In 2005, Elizabeth traveled to Zambia to receive basic WASH Training. In 2006, she attended an advanced training in United States of America. Now a certified WASH Trainer, Elizabeth works for Lifewater International as a WASH Facilitator and Trainer in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda and Kenya. When she isnt traveling with Lifewater International, Elizabeth is busy training women’s groups, churches and youth groups on proper water and sanitation techniques. Elizabeth is a graduate of GWWI’s 2008 Women and Water Training in Nairobi. During the training she learned different RWH techniques and has since become a stronger trainer and full time consultatn in WASH education in rural communities. These are her excerpts:
Question: What have you learnt from the training so far?
Elizabeth: We have learnt leadership skills and tips, about water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) technologies.
Question: What have you been doing in your community with regards to water and sanitation?
Elizabeth: In my community am a WASH Trainer and I have been training communities, schools and pupils. Pupils are mostly trained when schools are closed like in April, August and December. The reason why we do them during the holidays is to keep the pupils busy. We involve the teachers so that they can train and we initiate health clubs within the schools so these health club members ensure that WASH programs are running well. We also train the community members for continuity and even if the trained teachers are transferred we still have that continuity since the community members are also trained.
Question: What’s the whole idea behind WASH in your community?
Elizabeth: It is to make sure that the girl child attends school. In lower classes, the ratio of boys to girls attending school is 1:1. But as you move to upper classes, the number of girl children in school drops drastically because girls stay home to do household chores like fetching water, cleaning etc. So the aim is to improve girl child education, prolong their health, improve the lives of those living positively by providing clean water, good sanitation and hygiene.
Question: Going forward, how do you think this is going to impact on your work? What are you going to do differently?
Elizabeth: I am going to make sure communities know the different options of water treatment for example solar disinfection, use of chemicals, boiling etc. It will depend on what one can afford. When it comes to latrines, there is simple latrines, Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (VIP) and so on and this training has helped us appreciate the fact that everyone can have a latrine depending on the type they can afford.
“Am a serious wash trainer and a change maker” Continue reading →
Filed under: building leadership, Icon, Women empowerment | Tagged: 2011 East Africa Women and Water Training Program, Elizabeth Akinyi Obiero, Esther Nasikye, Godliving Busingye, GWWI, Icon, Kenya, Kisumu, Leadership, Matilda Nabukonde, Samantha Winters, Sheila Kinaheirwe, Uganda, VIP, WASH, water sanitation, women, Zeinab Adams | Leave a comment »
