On March 28, 2026, a diverse group of government leaders, WASH experts, and community representatives gathered in South Ari woreda, Sida kebele, for the annual water safety plan (WSP) review meeting. The event provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on progress, share practical experiences, and draw lessons for scaling up community-driven WASH services.
The primary objective of the meeting was to review the progress of pilot WSP implementation and to conduct a field visit to one of the pilot kebeles. Participants included zonal and woreda-level political leadership, WASH sector office heads and technicians, WSP teams from pilot kebeles, and knowledge exchange visitors from Baka Dawula Ari, Woba Ari, and Semen Ari woredas.
The event was hosted in Sida kebele, one of the leading sites for WSP implementation. In his opening remarks, the Ari Zone Water, Mine, and Energy Department Head, Gizachew Beley, warmly welcomed participants and appreciated IRC WASH’s contribution to successfully implementing WSP. He emphasised that WSP is not only improving infrastructure but also strengthening systems, enhancing service sustainability, and building community ownership. He further noted that the lessons emerging from these efforts are being documented and can be scaled up across Ari zone.
The meeting continued with a presentation by Woreda WSP Team Leader, Tigistu Dejene, who outlined the WSP implementation journey from July 2015 to March 2026. His presentation demonstrated how the structured six-step WSP approach has contributed to measurable improvements not only in water and sanitation facilities, but also in institutional WASH services, community behaviour in demanding better services, and facility management.
This set the stage for the field visit, where participants could witness these changes first-hand.
Sida kebele has become a high-performing area, showing strong progress in water service improvements, sanitation, and community mobilisation. Following WSP-related WASH behaviour change training, communities across several villages contributed cash, in-kind support, and labour to construct five new water schemes. In addition, three existing schemes were rehabilitated in collaboration with locally engaged coffee suppliers. According to the kebele health post report, Sida kebele has achieved 100% open defecation free (ODF) status, with 19.2% of households currently using improved sanitation facilities.
During the field visit to Bergamer village, participants observed the tangible results of WSP implementation. The community in Bergamer village constructed a new water supply system using locally mobilised financial and in-kind resources, following WSP-related behaviour change interventions. This included developing a protected spring source, installing a 350-meter pipeline, and constructing a public water point. The village has also achieved open defecation free (ODF) status.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, what stood out most was the strong sense of ownership. Community members expressed pride in their achievements and a clear commitment to maintaining and protecting the system.
The discussions that followed the field visit highlighted a key transformation: a shift from dependency to community ownership.
Afedo Worku, Ari Zone Prosperity Party Office Head, said,
“As a government, we often face challenges in responding to infrastructure demands due to limited budgets. However, the WSP approach shows that communities themselves are powerful sources of resources. This is a major learning for us”.
Similarly, Tekabe Tadewos from the Zone Finance and Planning Department noted that the results reflect strong collaboration at the woreda level, and this will be a good example to scale up to other woredas in the zone.
For the visiting woredas, the experience provided valuable insights. Zelake Aschenaki, Head of Baka Dawula Ari Woreda Prosperity Party Office, said, “We have seen that communities can mobilise their own resources, solve their own problems, and sustain their services. If we organise and support them properly, they can achieve remarkable results.”
He further confirmed that his woreda plans to scale up the WSP implementation and best practice by working closely with the woreda Water and Energy Office.
Likewise, Natnael Nakimi from Woba Ari Woreda Water and Energy Office said the visit showed that strong leadership engagement, community mobilisation, and sector collaboration are critical to bringing about behavioural change.
The knowledge exchange clearly demonstrated that WSP is more than a technical tool. It is a practical approach for strengthening local systems, empowering communities, and improving service sustainability.