Lovy Rasolofomanana

WaterAid in Madagascar Country Representative

My impression is that majority of people attending AfricaSan 3 conference seem to be committed to taking sanitation in their respective countries to higher levels.

I have attended a number of sessions where participants raised pertinent issues in regard
to improving sanitation service that reach the poorest of the poor with the 'no subsidy policy'.

I have liked the cleanliness of Kigali City, it is a vivid indicator of Rwanda government’s commitment to ensuring sanitation for all. Rwanda is one of the few African countries on track of attaining the MDG 6 targets. My wish is to have all other African governments to learn from Rwanda.

Conference outcome

I am optimistic that the conference discussions will yield concrete and practical solutions that will address the sanitation and hygiene challenge faced by many African countries.

In all the discussions a call for increasing public financing of sanitation drives that reach the poor was clear. What is needed to drive sanitation forward is specific actions such as allocating 0.5% of a country’s GDP to sanitation. In many countries, improving sanitation means better sector coordination, improving governance of available resources and building sector capacity.

I am optimistic that the conference discussions will yield concrete and practical solutions that will address the sanitation and hygiene challenge faced by many African countries.

The conference should as well come up with more realistic actions that will sustain sector investments and knowledge management.

To ensure sanitation for all, governments and donor community should make sanitation a priority; in countries where political leadership is committed like Rwanda, the fruits are visible because this offers an opportunity of taking sanitation forward. where the political will is lacking progress is curtailed.

Modrine Alumasa Sabwa

Water and Youth Africa (Representative of Youth to AMCOW)

My impression of the conference is that, many African countries, CSOs and donor community here in Kigali have a common goal of finding practical solutions and actions that can respond to the sanitation needs of many African countries.

As much as we are demanding better financing, sector coordination and accountability among others, at community level we need to focus on the youth as change agents for good sanitation because they are the future leaders of tomorrow. I am happy that stakeholders attending this conference
have launched a five year drive of commitments to push sanitation higher on the agenda though more is needed to translate these promises into action.

Role of media

The media in Africa can play an important role of putting sanitation on the political and public agenda.

However, in many countries the media has failed to address the economic impact of sanitation in an economy.

This is the time for us media practitioners to become more analytical in addressing the core issues affecting the prioritisation of sanitation services that reach the poor.

In many countries the media has failed to address the economic impact of sanitation in an economy

Sanitation is an engine for development because it impacts on the future of many people of our continent.

It is the responsibility and duty of all of us stakeholders attending this conference to embrace sanitation. We must come up with concrete actions in order to save the lives of our brothers and sisters on the continent who day by day live a life of the shame of not having access to sanitation services.

Compiled by: Judith Grace Auma (UWASNET) James Kiyimba (WaterAid) and Ceridwen Johnson (Fresh Water Action Network-FAN)