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OPINGQ SPEicII
Seminar Participant sI Coveriiront Officialo, Ladies and Gantlomen:
I am pleased this miorning' to h-.ve the opportuizity to o-en The t }[,itiona;l
Semincr for Ie--lth E;ducation c-nd Sanita:tion Pro;.aotion in Rural Pipedi tTater
Projects. This Seminar repres-entc the first $therin of our iiinistryts officers
responsible for the manaLTement of health inputs in our nation's extcnsive
rural piped w,,ter scheme. I must t'ank the United Stotes .:oncy f,,r
International Development-, represented here by i-ir. Cole, for providin,' funs
to make this Seminar a-,nd project possible.
The
impressive
Departmient
scheme
of Lands,
of brin.:in,
Valuation
clean,
and
s.
;.'atcr
.fc w..Ai"tr
hs
to
indcd
our villa.,cr,
creatcd an
in ialawri.
ien all of their projocts: have been completed, morc tha.n ,:illion rur:.1 villagers
w.ill hwc accesu to clean wa.ter - about one-fifth of our rural oopulations
This scheme has received iintcrnational ;.nC .cclaimro:.rded
is as subarior
exa.mple in providin; a coFviodity whLich is ose-nti-.l for human existence -
cloan wtr. rjTlhro is no question that this schemc has been succesrful,
So, L:.dics and Gentlemon, you may ask, "If this piped ir..tur scheme hi.ts
been 6o Euccesuful, why does the Uinistry of Health nccd to be involved ith it?"
The answer lies in the f-ct tha.t one of the co.is of supplyin. clean ,..tr is to
improve the he.th of thc rur;,,l population, It has ben rope,.tedly show.,n thAt
little improvement in hclth t-,kes place by ,,ucrcly providing such i:atcr tiithout
educating the users as to how to t..ko -oocl .'.v:.nt.. of its
To just jive people good -. ilentiful wter does not mcan they will
automatically use it to good- advant-.. . This iswhe",e. the M;inistry of ea:lth
comes in, With our network of Health Inspectors, Ne..lth Asi:tants nd Hel'.lth
Surveillance Assistonts w. hope to provide, -. t need
to become he .Ithir throutjh the use of their newly built safe vater sys;teme
It is recognized tha:t this moans chancin& people's habits, _-r'4 tht.. this
is never ea:sy. Yet we hope tht by cstablishin:. di,.logue ,:ith coUiamxzity
leders wre -. will be aible to a',ssist vill:!ers to come to an tu]derst...ndin.
t t,
while most of their belhviours ,.rc le.din, th.eor.; to he:.1thy livin:;, some
beha.viours may need to c1,.nac to ensure the he 'l. l of -1;hir c.hilren 1d lios.
It is very cncoura-.,'in., to spezk with vill.ours .ho ha-ve constructed their
ow.m piped ter sy;tem sIith the ass ist;..ncc of Gover n-icnlt If you ha:ve not done
so, then I ur c you to. There it; no mistCakin ihc pride ,ith wlhich they till
tell you th,:,t the w.,.1.-r system balon.. t1o thum and it is thcir hard ;:ork ;hich
brou,,ht them tho benfits of clc.. t,-.r. :;k :-.u' of -hui .h,.cre the ... ter
comes from ltc.d tho- ill point 1hi j up in the .1out.in .n. explain he, t;hey
climbed upthere to help di( trenches for th,1e -pipe-iines. Question t:.m
further -ndnc you ill he .r them tcll you how." they collect :esony from lt.eir owal
pockets to buy- a not. t,.p .hn it, breaks ."nc w thoy d '.1iih w rep..iri c,
brea'_kdowns in ho sys"em to ensure c r(elia-.ble flo; of wtr, You will sc ,h:t
there i. no mit.:kin- L, U1 oheir . .. L.-iznn s of' of -ride, r
'ahere -rc lesson[: to )c loarned from these obsorv.ation,. Did tl2,5
feolin's of ,ride happen by :acci,.lenti? Of ,ours:e not. 2hrou ,.ir lora.l
leadlership, vill,,s hAve 0001n involved in ho Licst.llition of t' a"cr
system from its plonLAin' st.. :,c. ihis is tl ]:y - involvi:!:, people from the
begirin. so they feel sense of otzcrship.
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