CMP news archive
Stories from the field, partners and media about CMP implementation and scaling-up.
Commission on the Status of Women (22 Feb 19)
Commission on the Status of Women has prepared draft conclusions for "Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls."
The draft contains a dedicated paragraph on WASH with special attention to be given to accountability frameworks and parity in leadership.:
“Guarantee the availability of clean water and safe sanitation for women and girls, including for menstrual hygiene management, in homes, schools, health clinics, transportation hubs, refugee camps, government offices, work sites and other public places; (E/CN.6/2019/3,”
(ff) “Promote the full and equal participation and leadership of women and women’s organizations in policy dialogues and decision-making relating to social protection systems, public services and sustainable infrastructure; (E/CN.6/2019/3, para 43, (ff))”
You can find whole draft Conclusions here:
(gg) “Create and strengthen gender-responsive accountability mechanisms, such as
gender audits, and include beneficiaries and users in the evaluation of social protection, public
services and infrastructure projects; (E/CN.6/2019/3, para 43, (gg))”
Save Water - Secure Future (20 Feb 19)
Please read (Amharic) article written by Meaza Kebede on water saving and how women can play important role in securing their future.
Vacancy announcement (15 Feb 19)
Here is interesting Vacancy open:Max Foundation is planning a multi-million multi-year Nutrition-WASH Healthy Village program in Ethiopia, for which it is securing funding for Max Foundation and partners. We are now looking for a dynamic Country Director to start up and run the Max Foundation program and office in Addis Ababa, including creating new programs and partnerships and actively seeking donor funding for them.In this light, we are pleased to share with you the vacancy for Country Director of the Max Foundation Ethiopia Country office. The vacancy is also posted on EthioJobs. Deadline for application: 8th March 2019.The PDF file is attached here
New link to Open WASH Documents (09 Feb 19)
Link to Open WASH documents
Here is the link to Open University Open WASH documents for Ethiopia:
http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/openwash
From this site you can download the following modules prepared in Ethiopia:
Count me in! Inclusive WASH in Ethiopia
WASH: Context and Environment
Urban Water Supply
Urban Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
Urban WASH: Working with People
Ethiopia’s One WASH National Programme
OpenWASH Trainers' Handbook
Scroll down to the module headings and click on ‘Try this course’. Then scroll down to find the separate Study Sessions which you can click on to view. Also, at the bottom of the list you will find downloadable pdf and Word versions of the whole modules (but they are very big files).
Ethiopia WASH Sector Feb 2019 (Short in Finnish) (06 Feb 19)
Short brief of Finland's support to Ethiopian water sector in February 2019: This information is only in Finnish)
Minch water filter done 100 % in Ethiopia has been created (01 Feb 19)
New innovative water filter technology has been developed in Ethiopia by Desert Rose. The new filter is called Minch. Manufacturer informs that it is 100% manufactured in Ethiopia and that E.coli removal is 99.9%. The tests show also possibilities to remove fluoride. This will be explored more in future. If you like to know more of this filter, please visit CMP Website and download the Leaflet from here:
Count Me In Training Module for Inclusive WASH Launched. (01 Feb 19)
A workshop aimed at rolling out an inclusive WASH programme in Ethiopia with the theme “ Count me in” was launched 29th January 2019 at CCRDA Meeting hall in attendance of various WASH Stakeholders, Government and Non-Government Partners, UNICEF Ethiopia, Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy and COWASH representatives.
Bethelem Mengistu, Country Director of Action Aid made a warm welcome speech and noted the need to include persons with disabilities in WASH programmes. She mentioned the initiative was technically supported by Open University and the intent of the guide is to provide inclusive guide for various WASH actors for both the implementers, donors and the policy advocates. Bethelem assures Water Aid’s support to provide technical support in the future. Bethelem expressed her hope as “My hope is to see the guide will develop a sector knowledge to facilitate and promote inclusion of persons with disabilities become a norm and not an exceptions.”.
Following Bethelem’s welcome note, Tamiru Gedefa , Water Supply, study, design, construction and Monitoring Directorate Director, read a key note address sent by State Minister, his Excellency Dr. Negash. According to H.E inclusive WASH is a key priority for government. He assured government’s support to the existing and current initiatives and regret for his absence due to urgent top priority elsewhere. In his note, he thanked Water Aid and other WASH Stakeholders who have pioneered inclusive WASH in the county. He promised to own inclusive WASH and encouraged stakeholders to embrace Inclusive WASH.
Consequently, Gizachew Berhanu, Project Coordinator, Federations of Ethiopian National Association of Persons with Disabilities, ( FENAPD) made key note address on behalf of Abayneh Wujo, the Executive Director of FENAPD who was not able to attend due to access issues. The Executive Director of FENAPD states that issue of disability is an issue of 19 million people in Ethiopia. He noted that persons with disability have been denied of access to water which is heavy to fetch. He underlined issue of inclusiveness in all aspects of life and water in particular.
W/o Lakech Haile, Gender, Equity and Inclusion Specialist at National WASH Coordination Office made a presentation on “ Equity and Inclusion” in WASH sector. Lakech highlighted how inclusive is viewed in her Ministry and shared the prevailing challenges of inclusion. According to Lakech, challenges includes “ attitude towards persons with disabilities, lack of disaggregated data on persons of disabilities towards inclusion. She also made a call to action on more investment to be made on inclusion. She also called upon to bring behaviour change on inclusiveness and promoted Participation of all with no limitations. As a way forward, Lakech, promoted Inclusive plans to be made at all levels and to make inclusive approach a mandatory approach.
Pam- Furniss, Director of OPEN WASH and Ellen Scott, Open WASH Senior Project Manager at the Open University in charge presented the “Count Me In” document to all participants.
Mr. Arto Suominen, COWASH Federal Team, Chief Technical Adviser, covered the facilitation fortress very well. Unlike many other meetings where you run out of time, Mr. Arto, chaired the meeting quite smooth and in time.
Round of applause, for all participants who committed to take issues of inclusion a serious matter. Count me in! Inclusive WASH roll-out workshop concluded with launch of an implementation guide shared to partners and stakeholders.
We would like to use this opportunity to call upon all our partners and Stakeholders to make inclusion of persons with Disabilities become a norm than an exception. We echo with WaterAid Ethiopia and all like-minded organisations to promote inclusion in all fronts. "Count me in" inclusive WASH roll out meeting continued after tea break.
For those who look for more information on the Count Me In document, please visit
Three hours water collection time reduced to 5 minutes (16 Nov 18)
The water collection time has been reduced from three hours to five minutes. Women tell visitors that now they have more time to take care of their families and girls can go on time to school. A young (20 years) and recently married woman tells us that now she can make more business at home (brewing) due to the time saved in water collection.
Read more about Amesti 4 water point at Guagusha Shikudad Woreda in Amhara Region.
Visit to Keshmando kebele in Benishangul Gumuz region (27 Oct 18)
Visitors enter the water point and observe that a man is pumping water when women around wait their Jerrycans to be filled. Positive feelings and great expectations fill the visitors from Embassy of Finland, Regional WASH sector bureaus, COWASH Federal and Regional teams and Bambasi woreda water office when they paid a visit to Gott 1 water scheme and Keshmando secondary school in Nebar Keshmando Kebele in Bambasi Woreda of Benishangul Gumuz Region. Read more in the attached story.
We welcome Ms Marjaana to COWASH Family (06 Oct 18)
WE WELCOME MS MARJAANA TO COWASH FAMILY
We would like to warmly welcome Ms Marjaana Pekkola to the COWASH Ethiopia family! She recently joined the Embassy of Finland in Addis Ababa to lead the Government of Finland bilateral projects in water, agriculture and land administration. Marjaana has long experience in development in Africa as she has lived 18 years in Mozambique and has also worked in Kenya and well as many other countries for over 26 years. She started her carrier with the UN World Food Programme, and also worked with NGOs before joining the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Finland in 2006. She is specialised in rural development, agriculture, natural resources, food economics and nutrition. After spending the last 3 years in Finland she is happy to return to Africa to work as a Counsellor for Development Cooperation in the Embassy of Finland. COWASH project is supported and monitored by her together with her colleague Gezahegn Alemu. (photo/Aino Himanen).
