Consequently, it has received a $250,000 fund for that purpose.

The fund, provided under the European Union—Water Operators’ Partnerships (EU-WOP) programme, is also to ensure that the vulnerable population in both countries were better served over a period of three years.

The grant was made possible after a funding proposal jointly submitted by the GWCL, GVWC and the Dutch VEI — water service provider in the Netherlands — was selected under the programme.

The partnership intends to contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the United Nations of ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.

The EU-WOP programme is an initiative funded by the EU and managed by UN-Habitat’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA).

WOP project

As a starting point, the GWCL has visited Sierra Leone for feasibility studies, and has started the transfer of knowledge and expertise to the country.

The team from Ghana has also held a workshop for its Sierra Leonean counterpart.

The Managing Director of GWCL, Dr Clifford Braimah, who briefed the Daily Graphic on this development, said the company’s visit to Sierra Leone was to gain at first hand the local challenges faced by GVWC in delivering water to the vulnerable communities.

“Being the lead partner, GWCL took advantage of the visit to gain a better understanding of the local challenges in supplying water to the vulnerable communities of Sierra Leone, and that commenced the transfer of knowledge and expertise. VEI also supported the process,” he said.

Dr Braimah indicated that they had received some funding from development partners, consumers and other sector stakeholders as a result of elevating the GWCL Low-Income Customer Support Unit into a full-blown department.

He said the department was focused on fundraising, community engagement, and improving water service delivery in poor communities through revenue collection initiatives and setting up water user associations.

The Chief Manager of the department, Faustina Boachie, said the department was crucial for the GVWC to fulfil its mandate.

Workshop

The VEI Project Manager, Krijn Driessen, provided hands-on training on the utilisation of a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone handed over to GVWC to enhance the company’s operations.

The partners then expressed their individual commitments to transform the unserved to be served in a sustainable way.

The Board Chair of GVWC, Bintu Myers, expressed the company’s commitment to work with the GWCL, while pledging the board’s strategic support to deliver on the programme’s objectives.