Africa, Civil Society, Development & Aid, Environment, Headlines, Poverty & SDGs, Water & Sanitation

MADAGASCAR: Applying Local Resources to Sanitation

ANTANANARIVO, Mar 28 2011 (IPS) - “We’re calling on all citizens,” said Riovoarilala Rakotondrabe, putting the final touches on a giant poster announcing a massive community clean-up for the coming Sunday.

“Since we are in the midst of the rainy season, the city administration has recommended that each fokontany [the basic administrative unit at the neighbourhood level in Madagascar] should carry out collective cleaning,” she said. Rakotondrabe is local head of the association charged with maintaining water infrastructure, hygiene and sanitation.

The clean-up was to include sweeping of streets and alleyways, clearing of bush, and collection of garbage strewn all over the neighbourhood, as well as to clear the gutters and storm drains that pass through the area.

Situated on the Antananarivo flats, Ankorondrano-Andranomahery is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Malagasy capital. Part of a large industrial zone, the neighbourhood presents striking contrasts. Adjacent to large, modern buildings housing various businesses are many houses built of old wooden crates and other salvaged materials.

“Many of these do not have latrines, obliging some residents, especially children, to defecate anywhere,” says Rakotondrabe.

The gutters and storm drains here are open and local residents and passersby alike throw garbage into them. “These open channels constitute a real danger to public health,” Rakotondrabe explains. “During the rainy season, they tend to overflow because clearing them is difficult due to the garbage blocking the channels.”

The RF2 which Rakotondrabe heads – the acronym stands for Rafitra Fikojana ny Rano sy ny Fahadiovana – is a community group set up to take charge of hygiene and sanitation. The idea is that revenue from local water user associations will cover the cost of paying local labour to clear drainage and sanitation in the fokontany as well as people to go around the neighbourhood to raise awareness of hygiene.

“But, for lack of means, we are making do with paying day labourers once a month, and when the circumstances call for it, we make additional collective efforts.”

No one was paid for the clean-up on the recent Sunday. Cleaning up, says Rakotondrabe, “is a civic obligation and those who don’t participate must pay a fine.”

Miakatra Rakotobe, in charge of community water points in the neighbourhood, explained to IPS that “the lack of financial resources is due to the fact that the Ankorondrano-Andranomahery RF2 has not yet been formally established. The entities which should disburse money for the functioning of the organisation are hesitating to pay their contribution. If the association was officially registered, it would have no trouble with financing.”

In the case of Ankorondrano-Andranomahery, Rakotobe told IPS that all of these contributors are ready to invest in the project.

“The six water user associations who manage the water facilities (a public wash house and five water points) are enthusiastic,” he said. “You can see this from the 5,000 ariary (2.50 dollars) which each of them has added to the price of drinking water sold to users, which they have already committed towards the functioning of RF2.”

The many businesses in the neighbourhood are equally prepared to put up money for the RF2. “But due to internal conflicts in the heart of the fokontany, we are hesitant to ask them to pay their part,” says Rakotobe. “It’s a conflict that we are trying to resolve quickly if we want to go forward.”

The RF2 model is succeeding in Ankazomanga Atsimo, another of the other seven neighbourhoods where it has been piloted.

“Ankazomanga Atsimo is a success because those in charge have been able to mobilise all residents around the project,” says the city’s Razanakombana. “While in Ankorondranao-Andranomahery, the political differences between the local leaders has been an obstacle, the residents of Ankazomanga has passed this stage.”

While the new system beds in, the 9,000 residents of Ankorondrano-Andranomahery must still rely on the efforts of non-governmental organisations to manage the sewers and canals of the neighbourhood. “Fortunately, the NGOs are reliant on labour-intensive methods and work-for-food programmes to help with the upkeep of our infrastructure,” says Rakotondrabe.