SELF HELP AFRICA COMMITS TO BACK DISTRICT PLANS

Self-help Africa has committed to supporting the Dowa district development plan through its strategic objectives.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Dowa district executive committee meeting at the Manac conference facility on Thursday in Dowa, Self-help Africa country director Kate Hartley Lewis indicated that Self-help Africa formerly United Purpose will be expanding their program in Dowa.
“We will continue to expand our programs in Dowa from wash programs to other interventions as laid out in our new strategy,” said Lewis.
Lewis also highlighted that the organization would work on its branding so that communities can easily identify it and hold it to account in line with its values.
The self-help Africa country director said the organization’s new strategy has an increased focus on the changing climate in which it operates.
“We recognize what we need to do, to have a greater focus by recognizing the changing operating environment for example new regulations on the NGO bill and changing of donor approach globally,” said Lewis.
Lewis reiterated self-help Africa’s commitment to drilling and rehabilitating boreholes in the district amidst fear that rebranding of the organization will affect its wash programs.
“Every year we do increase the number of drilling and rehabilitation of boreholes in Dowa, and we will continue to do that,” said Lewis.
On his part, Dowa District Council chairperson Mayamiko Kambewa expressed gratitude for the development saying the rebranded self-help Africa will go beyond what United Purpose was doing.
However, he lamented the dwindling funding that the council is experiencing in the implementation of water projects.
“We call on the central government to increase funding in the water sector as currently, a constituency receives about 12 million which only caters for drilling one to three boreholes,” Said Kambewa.