Nepal Water For Health (NEWAH) is an organisation that works throughout rural Nepal providing clean drinking water, sanitation and health education. Established in 1992, it is the largest national NGO specialising in the rural water and sanitation sector in the country. It is non-political and non-profit making. NEWAH has a written constitution, is registered with the District Administration Office and is affiliated with the Social Welfare Council. It has an Executive Committee responsible for policy decisions.
NEWAH Aims
NEWAH aims to improve the standard of living of poor people in Nepal by supporting community development initiatives.
NEWAH’s Vision
All the people of Nepal have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
Achievements to Date
NEWAH has assisted 116 local NGOs and 89 Small Farmers’ Development Program (SFDP) offices, to complete:
2,429 community tap stands serving 151075 people with clean water:
3,837 tube-wells serving 295,490 people with clean water;
30 hand dug wells serving 8,000 people with clean water;
12,247 domestic latrines benefiting 97,976 people with safe sanitation facilities;
7 public latrines in semi-urban areas;
training for 15,029 NGO, SFDP , Women’s Credit Groups and community groups
(project management committee members) in hygiene education and maintenance..
The NEWAH Approach
Participation:
NEWAH encourages the community to take a lead in planning, construction, operation and maintenance of new facilities by using participatory approaches. This aims to ensure the community is the owner of the facilities.
Partnerships:
NEWAH forms partnerships with locally based NGOs, Small Farmer’s Groups, Women’s Credit Groups and community groups to implement projects.
Technology Choice:
NEWAH encourages the use of technologies, which the communities can afford and maintain by themselves, in both water and sanitation sector.
Integration:
NEWAH integrates water, sanitation and hygiene education as an approach to community water service delivery.
Sustainability:
Building the capacity of local NGOs and community groups to construct, manage, operate and maintain infrastructure projects is an integral part of NEWAH’s work.
Empowerment:
“NEWAH believes that by working with communities in implementing water and sanitation projects the people will realise their potential for improving their lives, and so work towards other development orientated activities.”
Relation between NEWAH and Local NGOs
NEWAH implements all its projects through local partners (NGOs, Small Farmer’s Groups and Women’s Credit Groups) These partners are village-based and generally have very limited organisational, accounts, management and technical skills. Therefore, NEWAH provides training to these partners including community health volunteer training, project management community training and basic training for caretakers.
The Community
The community contribute to the projects through managing the workforce, planning activities, labour; site clearance; excavation work; collection of local materials such as stone, aggregate and sand; stone breaking and transportation of these materials to the site.
Future Objectives
To increase poor people’s access to clean water and sanitation services;
to conduct research and development in the drinking water and sanitation sector so as to improve delivery mechanisms and document best practice;
to improve linkages with sector agencies;
to involve NGOs in water and sanitation activities at the policy level;
to include funding activities within NEWAH to reduce donor dependency;
to provide training opportunities for researchers and students, and
to expand development activities beyond water, health and sanitation.
Contact
Nepal Water For Health (NEWAH)
POB 4231
Baluwatar, Kathmandu.
Phone 417603, 418248
Fax 414099
Email: newah@mos.com.np