Investing in Human Capital in Tajikistan and Mozambique - Sharing Lessons

On November 15, 2017 DFi partnered with World Bank Tokyo Office and organized the 10^th seminar on “Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF): Investment in Human Capital in Tajikistan and Mozambique.” The sessions highlighted the achievements of two JSDF projects -  Tajikistan Nutrition Scale-up and Mozambique: Maputo Peri Urban Sanitation by bringing together key stakeholders involved in the project to disseminate knowledge and share lessons.  The event also  included an exhibit of various crafts and items produced under JSDF-supported projects.

Each speaker shared the impact of the JSDF program on the beneficiaries, community groups and other stakeholders.  The personal accounts of the beneficiaries brought vividly to light the impact of the JSDF grants on their livelihoods, families and communities.

The project beneficiaries expressed appreciation and gratitude to the Government and People of Japan for providing the JSDF funding which has made a transformative impact on their livelihoods.

The project presentations were followed by questions and answers between the Japanese constituents and the beneficiaries.  The seminar was conducted in four languages – Russian, Portuguese, English and Japanese which is a testament to the global reach of Japan’s international development assistance.

Last Updated: Apr 27, 2018

JSDF Tajikistan Nutrition Scale Up Project

Development Objective: The grant of $2.80 million aims to improve health and nutrition status among children less than five (5) years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers in the 14 districts affected by the food price shocks in Khatlon Province.

Results achieved to date:

• The grant has reached 155,277 beneficiaries.
• Fertilizers and high-quality potato, beans, beet-root and carrot seeds were distributed to 3,000 households. Training sessions were also conducted for the same households on proper growing of crops and preparation of nutritious food.
• A five-day training of trainers (31 doctors) was conducted in July 2017 on “Mother and Child Health” and “Treatment of Malnutrition at Primary Health Care level”.  Those trainers then cascaded the training to 1,000 health workers in a three-day workshop on the same topics.  After the training, the health workers conducted counselling to 31,064 beneficiaries.
• More than 100,000 mothers and 300 community volunteers learned about improved nutrition practices, the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, and how to detect signs of childhood diseases.

Last Updated: Apr 27, 2018

Mozambique: Maputo Peri-urban Sanitation Project

Development Objectives: Maputo Peri-urban Sanitation project valued at $1.78 million aims to improve the sanitation conditions and practices of about 140,000 people in 11 unplanned peri-urban neighborhoods of Maputo. The benefits of improved sanitation in densely populated low-income areas extend beyond the household: impacts on the cleanliness and hygiene of the local environment are hugely significant for community health wellbeing.

Results achieved to date:

• The grant has reached 8,531 beneficiaries.
• All 50 planned community sanitation blocks for large compounds and 250 shared latrines for smaller compounds were completed and handed over to users.  An extra 150 shared latrines were built with project savings and are in the process of being handed over to the users.
• Six of the eight sludge management micro-enterprises established under the project have survived and can now be classified as viable businesses.  Their service is well accepted by the users.
• The Maputo Municipal Council is now rolling out the service in other areas with support from other development partners.

Lessons learned:

• Shared sanitation is an effective solution in the densely populated barrios (neighborhoods).
• The consultative approach is needed to effectively target households and locate new sanitation facilities.
• Multiple reforms are required to enable services to reach the poorest households: (i) improved customer price information; (ii) provision of subsidies (e.g. sanitation tariff); and (iii) enhanced regulation of informal providers.
• The pilot is being mainstreamed as part of a mix of sanitation solutions in other barrios and possibly to other cities in Mozambique.
• The monitoring and evaluation processes had to be embedded within local government structures.
• Sanitation champions had to be identified at all levels of the municipal government.
• The introduction of a sanitation tariff may help bridge the financing gap for sanitation services.

Last Updated: Apr 27, 2018