November 05, 2024
By Samuel Ogunsona
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded grants totaling N1.72 billion to eight local organizations through its Lagos Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (LUWASH) program to tackle cholera in the state.
The grants were formally presented at a two-day signing and onboarding workshop held in Lagos.
Recipient are JAM Foundation, Equitable Health Access Initiative Nigeria, South Saharan Social Development Organisation, Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development, Women’s Right to Education Programme, Bread of Life Development Foundation, Society for Water and Sanitation and Chamagne Foundation.
These organizations will utilize the funds to enhance their operational and outreach capacity in providing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services to communities underserved by public utilities.
James Racicot, Chief of Party and USAID contractor for LUWASH, emphasized the importance of effectively utilizing the grants to achieve LUWASH objectives.
“We have no doubt that all of you will succeed with the proposals that you have submitted,” he said to the grantees,” he said.
“So, we urge you, the grantee, to take advantage of all the training and orientation that you will receive, because ultimately, we do not want to have issues with the management of the grants, but rather focus on the implementation and the success.
“The LUWASH Activity is very serious about engaging prominent, enthusiastic, CBOs in Lagos and Nigeria and we plan to do that over the next few years as well.
“The expectations for these organisations will feed into the LUWASH overall objectives of eradicating cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
“So, the USAID LUWASH activity has several components, including working on the infrastructure for the water supply, governance, and support to the institutional stakeholders.
“But through the grants under contract programme, called the CAREVO fund, we are able to target specific needs that we have either seen recently or that has been on the ground for a few years,” Mr Racicot said.
The initiative aims to reduce cholera transmission, morbidity, and mortality rates in Lagos State by promoting behavioral change and improving WASH facilities in low-income communities.
