WASH Awareness & donation of materials at Makeni Refugee Transit Centre, Zambia.
In efforts to collectively address critical WASH challenges among the refugee settlement at Makeni Refugee Transit Centre in Zambia, Climate YES in partnership with Caritas Zambia convened a training session on sustainable WASH practices, needs assessment, as well as donation of hygiene materials to 55 young people between ages of 15-35 years. The program intended to;
- Raise Awareness on WASH: in addition to a comprehensive needs assessment to inform our next course of action, we shared information on basic hygiene practices and effects of poor hygiene practices to the general population at the centre.
- Empower youth: By equipping young refugees with accurate information and practical strategies to prevent outbreaks and mitigate their impact on communities.
- Foster climate change awareness: By integrating climate change education into the WASH program and nurturing a new generation of climate action leaders.
Challenges and Needs Assessment
A thorough assessment of the Refugee transit centre’s WASH situation revealed the following critical issues:
- Inadequate water supply: Insufficient water sources posed significant health risks.
- Poor sanitation infrastructure: Broken and poorly maintained latrines created unhygienic conditions and increased the risk of disease outbreaks.
- Limited hygiene knowledge: A lack of understanding about proper hygiene practices hindered disease prevention efforts.
- Scarcity of hygiene products: Insufficient access to essential hygiene items, such as soap and sanitary napkins, exacerbated health challenges.
Access to equitable WASH facilities to young people in Refugee centres around the world is a pertinent matter that deserves our attention at all levels of leadership even at church level. All factors that force people to migrate to other regions or countries including harsh climate conditions and civil war need urgent action because they mostly affect the children and youth in whom we see the future.
We continue to pray for all refugees around the world, may God’s merciful hand of protection be upon them, provide for their needs and re-ignite their candle of hope at all times, Amen. Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.