Dowa Council Develops WASH Blueprint Strategic Guide 2024-2028

The Dowa District Council, with support from Self Help Africa, has created a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Blueprint Strategic and Investment Plan (DSIP) for 2024-2028.

This plan aims to ensure sustainable access to potable water and sanitation for all by 2028.

The council and stakeholders, including Self Help Africa and its donor, Water, set a vision for WASH services in the district in August 2022.

The DSIP seeks to mobilize K23,379,523,000 (approximately 13,352,098 USD) to guide investments and actions in WASH over five years.

According to Yusuf Laki, Acting Chief Planning Officer, the DSIP is crucial for contributing to the national agenda outlined in Malawi 2063’s Human Capital Development.

The plan addresses gaps identified through district-wide surveys and includes a disaster risk plan, resource mobilization, marketing, and monitoring plan.

Laki emphasized the importance of collaboration between governmental and non-governmental actors to achieve sustainable and universal WASH access. The DSIP development process involved workshops with stakeholders from national, district, and community levels.

“With the development of the DSIP, there is a potential to ensure further coordination and harmonization of WASH sector investments in the district through a unified overarching plan to which sector actors can work towards,” said Laki.

District Water Development Officer Fanny Muwula thanked WASH partners for their collaboration and encouraged transparency and accountability.

The alignment meeting for WASH interventions to DSIP was held under the theme “Delivering Sustainable and Resilient WASH Services for Productive Human Capital Development”.