AMBASSADORS' WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE IN SCHOOLS

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000188 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHB - LHILLESHEIM E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: SENV TBIO SOCI SL SUBJECT: AMBASSADORS' WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE IN SCHOOLS (AWASH) INITIATIVE REF: STATE 033467 ¶1. Embassy Freetown is very pleased to support the proposed "Ambassadors' Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (AWASH) Initiative." ¶2. Sierra Leone continues to rank the lowest on the Human Development Index and is seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index. About 52% of the people live on less than US$1 per day. Life expectancy at birth is 42. Sierra Leone records the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world. These and other figures demonstrate the dire level of need in the country. ¶3. Post works with schools in many ways, such as the Ambassadors' Girls' Scholarship program, school feeding programs, and reconstruction and rehabilitation of schools damaged during the war. Additionally, there are schools for the disadvantaged and physically handicapped that could benefit from this type of proposed intervention. Most of the schools are in remote regions of the country and have extremely poor or no ready access to fresh clean water, good sanitation or hygienic conditions. Girl students are more frequently disenfranchised from educational opportunities than boy students, often due to the inaccessibility of clean water and adequate sanitation and hygienic conditions. Post seeks to increase its support of the education sector, but is limited by funding cuts in recent years. ¶4. Sierra Leone ended its civil war in 2002, a decade-long war which destroyed the majority of the country's infrastructure, including schools. The dire needs outpace the available resources. Therefore, the AWASH initiative, which promises to provide at least 50% matching funds per school, would be a valued and effective way to leverage limited resources and address a most urgent health need - access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene for children in school. Women's empowerment is a top Post priority and that empowerment begins in educating the girl child. With Sierra Leone's placement at the bottom of the index for educational access and accomplishments, especially for girls, this initiative offers a promise that at least one school can rise above the daunting challenges and become a role model for a healthier environment and improved health behaviors. ¶5. Post can easily identify the neediest school(s). We already have key implementing partners on the ground that have the experience and ability to implement this program when funds are available and welcome working with the NGO consortium to identify adequate resources. Post is most pleased to support this important and timely initiative and welcomes feedback on moving forward. PERRY