Seven (07) Regional Meetings Held

With support from GIZ under the Civil Society in Uganda Support Programme (CUSP), UWASNET was able to conduct seven (07) regional meetings in August 2020. The meetings aimed at strengthening regional coordination of CSOs, facilitating information sharing, promoting learning amongst members and identification of best practices.  

The regional meetings held were;

1. Central regional meeting held August 6th, 2020 at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala
2. Karamoja regional meeting held on August 10th, 2020 at Mount Moroto hotel in Moroto 
3. Teso regional meeting held on August 12th, 2020 at The Hursey Resort hotel in Soroti
4. Mid-Easter regional meeting held on August 13th, 2020 at Mbale Resort Hotel in Mbale 
5. West Nile regional meeting held on August 18th, 2020 at Royal Crane Hotel in Arua 
6. Lango and Acholi regional meeting held on August 20th, 2020 at Bomah hotel in Gulu
7. Busoga regional meeting held on August 27^th, 2020 at Paradise on the Nile hotel in Jinja

A total of 143 member organisations were represented at the regional meetings.

The Secretariat shared with members critical information on the advocacy activities implemented at sector level and called for their support in identification of critical sector issues for address at both district and national level.

The Secretariat used the regional meetings to promote the SDG 6 indicators and the new sector indicators, share information on the budget allocations for the Water and Environment sector for FY 2020/21 as part of the advocacy for prioritisation of the sector in national plans and budgets. The secretariat also shared information on the Water and Environment Sector Response Plan for the Refugee and host communities in Uganda.

The Secretariat also shared feedback on the mid-year regional coordinator performance assessments. This was an opportunity for members to share ways in which their respective regional coordinators can be supported to efficiently and effectively fulfil their mandate. Overall, there was a call for members and their respective regional coordinators to report and share their work for better coordination of CSOs’ contribution to the sector through participation in the district WASH coordination and planning meetings.

Members also had an opportunity to inform and endorse their regional work-plans and budgets.

The Secretariat shared information on the 10^th edition of the National WASH CSO Forum planned for September 22^nd – 24^th, 2020 via Zoom. The regional members identified critical advocacy issues that will constitute the series of webinars as part of the 2020 National WASH CSO Forum that will be held under the theme, ‘Prioritisation of WASH in national planning and budgeting to effectively address Covid-19 and other WASH related illnesses in Uganda.

The following are the critical advocacy issues identified at regional level

1. Central region identified the issue of removal of taxation on WASH products
2. Karamoja region identified the issue of Open Defecation as prevalent and critical in the region
3. Both the Teso, Lango and Acholi regions identified Operation and Maintenance as critical issues
4. Mid-Eastern region identified the issue of Menstrual Hygiene Management as a crticial issue
5. Rwenzori region identified WASH in Health Facilities as critical
6. West Nile identified coordination in WASH in Emergency as critical
7. Busoga region identified the open defecation in fishing communities as critical

Currently the regional coordinators and smaller sub-committees of regional members are working collaboratively with the Secretariat to organise the webinars that will be the series of webinars at the 2020 National WASH CSO Forum.

Three other regional meetings will be held in October 2020 namely; the Mid-Central, South Western and Rwenzori regional meetings.