Provide life-saving and sustainable integrated Health and WASH interventions for vulnerable settlements and communities in Kismayo, Lower Juba Save the Children (SC) proposes to deliver an integrated package of Health and WASH lifesaving support interventions to most vulnerable settlements and communities (including men, women, boys and girls) in Lower Juba, Kismayo district in a dignified manner. These interventions are based on the 2021 allocation strategy paper, 2021 Jubaland Drought Risk Assessment findings, and the proposed activities are well aligned with the Health and WASH cluster priorities.
The project aims to improve access for health services to mitigate, control and manage outbreaks (waterborne diseases) and filling critical gaps, while also addressing safe water and sanitation provision through emergency/ lifesaving WASH interventions and enhancing better hygiene practices in Kismayo district. This project will reach 22,000  beneficiaries (men: 5,060, women: 5,500, boys:5,500 , girls: 5,940) over nine (9) months.
The health component will seek to support two (2) mobile health teams to ensure provision of emergency and essential primary health care services with emphasis on waterborne disease mitigation, control and management. SC will support the mobile health teams to provide emergency reproductive health services for underserved with referral pathways established for Gender Based violence (GBV) and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) linkages. Provision of essential medication and supplies (including Personal Protective equipment (PPEs) and COVID-19 related supplies) will be ensured for the mobile teams with well-integrated patient safety protocols as well as accessibility and accountability mechanisms. SC will also support provision of essential routine immunization services. To ensure preventative measures for diseases and outbreaks, SC will actively support community engagement and health education (with integrated hygiene messages) to community members of different sex, age and disability groups in a dignified manner.
For the WASH component, SC plans to conduct water trucking through vouchers to 8,889 drought affected settlements, rehabilitate 5 shallow wells, and 1 extension of existing water infrastructure. The project will also increase access to communal latrines and hand-washing with soap through construction of 56 culture sensitive latrines while addressing specific needs of different sex and disability groups to ensure safety and easy access to facilities. Additionally, beneficiaries of the water and sanitation and health services will be sensitized on hygiene promotion measures with a focus on proper hand washing with soap, safe waste and excreta disposal and household (HH) water treatment and safe storage, distribute 3666 hygiene kits including female specific hygiene items (sanitary clothes, etc.) to vulnerable households and build community resilience and increase sustainability of WASH services by enhancing the capacity of village level WASH management committees to manage, operate and maintain WASH facilities.
The project is designed to ensure equitable access to WASH services by older people and those with disabilities, safety of children and dignity and privacy for women and girls. Coordination with health and WASH clusters at national and state levels will be maintained, in addition to ongoing coordination with general key actors in Lower Juba. The project will address gender issues through collecting sex and age disaggregated data which will be analyzed to identify gaps, provide gender sensitive interventions and ensure participation and empowerment of women. Protection of beneficiaries will be ensured during access and utilization of services seeking to reduce further risks.
SC aims to increase access to clean and safe drinking water, sanitation and improve hygiene knowledge and promote the adoption of safe hygiene practices among the communities, contributing to a reduced risk of disease outbreak and acute needs.