Nghe An receives clean water and sanitation project

On the morning of April 12, the Provincial People's Committee had a working session with the delegation of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union and the East Meets West organization.

Attending the working session, on behalf of the working delegation were Ms. Tran Thi Huong - Vice President of the Central Association; Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh - Director of the Clean Water and Sanitation Program, East Meets West Organization.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrade Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of relevant departments, branches and sectors.

Working scene. Photo: Phuoc Anh

The meeting discussed the Women-Led Results-Based Water and Sanitation Improvement Project implemented by East Meets West.

The project has an estimated budget of about 30 - 32 billion VND, with the Clean Water Aid Fund for Women - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as the main sponsor; implementation period is from 2018 - 2022.

The project aims to improve public health and gender equality through support for poor, near-poor and vulnerable households to increase access to hygienic latrines and clean water.

People in Nghi Thai commune, Nghi Loc district - a new rural commune - have not had access to tap water for nearly ten years and have had to use water from drilled and dug wells. Photo courtesy

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong said that in 2011, Nghe An only had 11/421 communes meeting the criteria for clean water and environmental sanitation, accounting for 2.5%.

Up to now, after 7 years, with the synchronous participation of the entire political system, departments, branches, organizations and the consensus of the people, the results of new rural construction have made remarkable progress.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong spoke at the meeting. Photo: Phuoc Anh

However, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also emphasized that Nghe An is a province with a large area, a large population, and a low average income. Regarding the field of clean water and environmental sanitation, the Central clean water and environmental sanitation program has now ended, while there are still many unfinished projects in the area, Nghe An is facing many difficulties in balancing the budget.

Therefore, the East Meets West organization bringing the Women-led Results-Based Sanitation and Clean Water Improvement Project to Nghe An is good news. The provincial government is committed to creating all favorable conditions for the project to be successfully implemented.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh - Director of the Clean Water and Sanitation Program, East Meets West organization presented some basic contents of the project. Photo: Phuoc Anh

At the meeting, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh - Director of the Clean Water and Sanitation Program, East Meets West Organization presented some basic contents of the project. Representatives of departments and branches also expressed their opinions on issues of financial counterpart, funding to support households in constructing works, criteria for project acceptance, etc.

Nghe An is one of five provinces in Vietnam benefiting from this project.

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong affirmed that Nghe An province committed to ensuring the counterpart fund according to the project's requirements and assigned the Provincial Women's Union to be the focal point of this project, and relevant departments and branches are responsible for coordinating the implementation.

“Nghe An will coordinate with the East Meets West organization to implement the project with high determination to maximize the effectiveness for beneficiaries, and make efforts to improve sanitation and clean water issues in the province,” said the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.