Kisumu Youth Water Sanitation and Hygiene Parliament (KYWP) from Kenya becomes a Blue Community.
Africa is turning blue! The Blue Community Network celebrates yet another partner in Kenya: the Kisumu Youth Water Sanitation and Hygiene Parliament (KYWP).
KYWP is one of nine regional Youth WASH Parliaments in Kenya. In their commitment to the Blue Community, KYWP writes:
Our mission deeply aligns to the principles of the Blue Community. Our work is rooted in the belief that water is a human right and therefore consistently advocate for Climate-resilient and community-accessible WASH systems. Joining the Blue Community will strengthen our policy credibility in demanding pro-poor and rights-based water governance and give us global visibility and solidarity.
Water is an enabler and a human right that should be enjoyed by all. We have therefore come up with principles including, climate justice in WASH, gender equity in WASH as well as youth leadership integration in water sector. These three principles ensure that no one is left behind and that this right is enjoyed by all.
Kisumu Youth WASH Parliament firmly believes that publicly financed water and waste water systems should serve the underserved, vulnerable and climate affected population. Our goal is to strengthen public trust and accountability, prevent unjust tariff hikes and ensure meaningful youth and citizen participation. Our planned activities to promote his principle includes conducting annual budget tracking, engage in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) and CIDP processes to push for increased WASH financing, advocate for the inclusion of youth and marginalized voices on public utility boards and stakeholder committees, document and promote public-community partnerships that are affordable, inclusive, and publicly accountable.
KYWP is committed to transparent and inclusive reporting. Regular, participatory and transparent reporting is essential for upholding this right. Our goal is to institutionalize youth-led, community-driven reporting on WASH in Kenya’s Kisumu County and thus influence planning, budgeting, and service improvement through accessible, data-informed reporting. Our planned activities include publishing an annual WASH report, hold social audits on WASH as well as monitor national and county commitments.
As a community living by the shore of Lake Victoria, we have witnessed firsthand the effects of plastic bottles to our water resources. The lake is choked by the day due to plastic pollution. Publicly available drinking water is a basic human right. We are therefore committed to ending the dependency on bottled water. Our goal is to increase public access points to avoid women walking for miles in search of water, raise awareness on plastic pollution.
Victoria Adwet, KYWP Speaker, states:
«Meaningful youth engagement is vital for the water sector to prosper. As a passionate youth advocate, I am committed to inspiring my peers to become guardians of our water resources and protect our vital catchment areas. I believe that by embracing our role as young environmental stewards, we can drive transformative change and ensure
a resilient future for our communities. Let us unite in our efforts to safeguard our water resources. The Blue Community give us a network and partners to work together on this.»
Rev. Kolade Fadahunsi, coordinator of the Blue Community Chapter Africa, congratulates the Kisumu Water Sanitation and Hygiene Parliament for the achievement of becoming a Blue Community and welcomes them in the network:
«We are passing on the torch of resilience, rights-based advocacy and hope as we welcome the Kisumu Youth Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to the Blue Community Africa.
KYWP’s decision to join Africa BC is seen as a source of inspiration and confirmation of the effectiveness of the Blue Community’s approach to combating water monopolies and capitalisation/commodification.
We look forward to a new sense of purpose and energy as we work together to make Africa blue, not only in terms of our presence on the map, but also through visible action on the ground in countries across the continent.
Welcome to KYWP!»
