Condominium sanitation: the series of trainings offered by Brazil, within the framework of trilateral technical cooperation, comes to a wrap in Angola

"Now we have to get them out of classrooms so that they have contact with reality." With these words, Mr. Edson Monteiro, an official in the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) area of UNICEF Angola, closed the last day of series of trainings offered under the South-South Cooperation project “Simplified Condominium Sanitation in the Municipality of Viana”. The course was held between April 10 and June 22, in Luanda, the capital of Angola.

The series of training trainers in the areas of simplified sanitation and solid waste management included capacity development in three pillars: civil engineering and infrastructure (sewage planning); environmental education; and community engagement.

With 20 hours of classes under each main pillar, the training had about 60 trainees registered, who are representatives of the civil society, pickers of recyclable materials, public officials and actors from the private sector who have linkages with the areas covered. “This is a training of trainers, so that they are able to pass on such knowledge directly to the communities. This is how the work of South-South Cooperation is best done: through knowledge sharing,” recalled Mr. Monteiro.

Waste

The training on “Waste Management and Worth” was delivered by Ms. Vanessa Lima, from the Secretariat of Cities of Ceará, one of the Brazilian partner institutions under the project. The objective was to address institutional, legal, technical and strategic issues, as well as the implementation of structures and processes related to the different management stages of services within this sector.

For Mr. Armando Mayulu, environmental educator and waste picker with the association of young pickers of recyclables in Angola, the courses encompassed a very rich content. The waste picker recalled the importance of correctly managing waste. “As a waste picker I know that when poorly thrown out, waste is inadequately disposed of and causes social distress, in addition to public health problems,” he said. “By sensitizing the community, we will have a better city, a better country and, above all, a better and healthier world,” wishes Mr. Mayulu.

The next step in implementing the project is to train neighborhood coordinators in the communities of Viana, the place chosen to host the pilot project. The area in which condominium sanitation will be implemented has also been demarcated, and construction works will begin in the coming months.

Condominium Sanitation

The South-South Cooperation project “Simplified Condominium Sanitation in the Municipality of Viana” is an initiative coordinated by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil (MRE), and developed in partnership with the government of Angola and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), with financial resources from the IBSA Fund (India, Brazil, South Africa). It is also integrated by Brazilian partner institutions, such as the Water and Sewage Company of the State of Ceará (CAGECE), the National Health Foundation (FUNASA), and the Secretariat of Cities of Ceará.

WASH is an integrated service model promoted by UNICEF. It includes improvements in sanitation, solid waste management, promotion of hygiene, quality of water provided, in addition to other aspects, with significant participation of communities involved, and promotion of entrepreneurship at the local level. In addition, WASH contributes to reducing child mortality by fostering prevention of diseases caused by the lack of basic sanitation, such as cholera, diphtheria, among others.