The Ecumenical Water Network Africa (EWNA) of the World Council of Churches became a Blue Community on May 1, 2024. ENWA has its headquarter in Ibadan, Nigeria, and is running a program Voices for Water Justice in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa, and with a presence additionally in Togo and Gambia.
EWNA recognizes the necessity of putting equitable access to water resources, environmental and climate justice across Africa as a human right. We are therefore very conscious to address the pressing challenges facing water accessibility, constitutional recognition as a human right, and environmental threats it faces in Africa especially in the trends of privatization.
Ecumenical Water Network Africa utilize this opportunity to galvanize churches/communities/individuals in five countries in Africa: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Sierra-Leone and Ghana into promoting and bringing out Voices of Water Justice and promoting Blue Community initiative as a tool to resist Water privatization and retain Water as a public good.
It is therefore on these premises that we intend to amplify public ownership of Water and Sanitation in these Africa countries through our project “Together for Water Justice”.
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- To build Voices for Water Justice in 5 Africa Countries of Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra-Leone, Ghana and South Africa
- Initiating and promoting Blue Churches and Schools concept in 5 Africa countries of Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra- Leone,Ghana and South Africa.
Our activities shall include:
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- Collection, capturing and documentation of Voices for Water Justice in 5 Africa countries, to be presented as part of observing the yearly World Water Day and World Toilet Day
- Organize ‘Water saves lives’ webinar every quarter to discuss water Justice issues that can dovetail into the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights reporting session of the focus countries
- Production, Sharing and distribution of JUSTWATER- a factsheet on Water and Sanitation issues in Africa.
Expected Outcome
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- Demands for Water justice and resistance to Water Privatization continue to expand in 5 Africa countries
- A network of religious leaders responding to anti Water justice and Sanitation practices is strengthened across 5 Africa countries.
- Churches and mission schools become Blue Communities where water is preserved and protected as a public good.
Conclusion
Ecumenical Water Network Africa will collaborate with major stakeholders in the area of information gathering, example of such collaborators includes International Non- governmental organizations, Faith Actors and Service providers in the area of Water and Sanitation.
For Blue News from EWNA on our website see here.
See the report on activities of the Ecumenical Water Network Africa for World Water Day 2024 here.
See the article in Global Hotline News from October 1, 2023: Ecumenical Water Network Advocates Repairs of Abandoned Water Reservoirs Across States
