The two partners, Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) in Sierra Leone and VEI from the Netherlands, would work with the GWCL to strengthen GVWC’s operations for improved service delivery to unserved communities.

It is being funded by the European Union (EU) as part of the solidarity-based Water Operators’ Partnership (WOP) programme.

The Managing Director (MD) of the GWCL, Dr Clifford Braimah, explained during a maiden visit to Sierra Leone to kickstart the partnership, that the project was one of the very few approved funding applications with an African lead partner and offers an opportunity to build upon the prevailing twinning arrangement between GWCL and GVWC and further strengthen it with the support of VEI.

Being the lead partner, the visit was to enable the GWCL gain a better understanding of the local challenges in supplying water to the vulnerable communities of Sierra Leone.

He noted that the three partners started its peer-to-peer learning journey back in 2018 to support the development of GVWC operational activities.

Encouraged by the successful learning and twinning partnership, he indicated that, the three partners decided to submit a funding proposal for the EU-WOP Programme to enable the continuation of their capacity development arrangement for three more years.

DrBraimah said the GWCL’s Low Income Customer Support Department (LICSD) would lead in supporting GVWC’s operations to better serve vulnerable populations over a 36 months’ duration.

He stated that, by supporting the development of the GVWC pro-poor activities and elevating its position as an organisation, the project would contribute greatly to the desired transformation of GVWC towards better service delivery.

“Together with the assistance of VEI the aim is to make the unserved visible and build the capacity to engage and transform the unserved to be served in a sustainable way.

The partnership aims to contribute towards the SDG 6 targets by embracing the leave no one behind principle,” the GWCL Managing Director noted.

He further highlighted the importance of top management buy-in for the establishment of a dedicated department advocating the unserved communities and households.

He shared examples of goodwill and funding GWCL has received from the development partners, consumers and other sector stakeholders as a result of having elevated the GWCL Low-Income Customer Support unit into a full-blown department (LICSD).

The Chairperson of the Board of GVWC, MrsBintu Myers pledged the Board’s strategic support to deliver on the programme’s objectives.