Presentation O&M in Malawi

Malawi is in Africa and has an estimated population of 13.2 million of which 80% live in rural areas and generally practice subsistence, rain-fed agriculture.

The main improved rural water supplies in Malawi are boreholes installed with handpumps, shallow wells fitted with handpumps and piped gravity fed schemes (GFS). Coverage of improved water supplies in rural Malawi is estimated to be 71% (UNICEF, 2006b. However, it is estimated that 31% of the improved rural water points are not functioning, thus effective coverage is reduced to 55%.

To improve this functioning ratio, some Operation and Maintenance (O&M) have been undertaken in Malawi since 1999. Operation and Maintenance applied on water supplies (hand pumps, etc.) means:

• Operation means the safe, reliable and economic use of a facility over its Life Span. The Life Span of a system is the number of years that the facilities are expected to operate.
• Maintenance describes the set of measures and activities aimed at keeping, or restoring optimal and reliable functionality of equipment.

The map above shows where these projects are now present (Click on it to enlarge it).

Kasungu - Shop activity

Since April 2011, 13 shops can sell spare parts in Kasungu district (see map below). One Chipiku store also cooperate with the Project.
Names of the shops and location are:

Salima presentation

Project in Salima was lauched in September 2008.

It comprises 9 shops and 28 Area mechanics.





Click on the picture to enlarge it.


Next posts will present impressive figures about this district since 2008.

InterAide O&M Project quoted in a UNICEF survey in Sierra Leone

See extract of this 2011 UNICEF survey for developing an O&M system in Sierra Leone:

4.1.4 Public/private sector supply chains

This model has been successfully implemented in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Oyo, 2006). Although its implementation depends on a number of variables, it eliminates some of the constraints inherent in the other two models. In Malawi, Bertrand de Saint Meloir (2009) documented a model in which an NGO, InterAide, provided an initial stock of spare parts, a display shelf, advertisement posters and fliers for shop owners, who have to maintain their spare parts stock at an agreed minimal level (equivalent to the starter pack value). The shop owner (private investor) has to sell to the communities at prices fixed by the project and indicated on the shelf and use the triplicate cash receipt provided by the project. Here, use is made of an established private sector operator, who is already involved in the provision of water services and has the requisite financial support and potential commercial incentive to support the spare parts network (Oyo, 2006).

The success of this model also depends on the basic private sector requirement of adequate demand predicated on high population of potential customers. Government’s role in this is not only to regulate but to influence market incentives to encourage private sector activity, by helping to create an enabling environment for business. Although this study has as its overarching objective an assessment of the type of supply chain model to be adopted in Sierra Leone, the involvement of UNICEF in providing an initial stock and the construction of spare parts stores in all districts of the country points to a public/private sector led supply chain, with the private sector expected to be involved probably as supplier or retailer. Whatever arrangement is put in place UNICEF must recover its initial cost or seed money.

Spare part definition Afridev

Most of the spare parts provided in the shops are Afridev ones.

As a reminder for Shopowners and Area mechanics and material support for training, a English and Chichewa list of the Afridev parts have been done by the Projects. It is distributed as a laminated page.

See above the first lines of this material:














Click here to get the full Acrobat Pdf document.

We also have the same material for Malda pumps. Don't hesitate to ask for it.

Partnership

This O&M project has been selected in 2010 by the Fondation Ensemble (survey performed with Hystra) for Partnership with 8 other projects.

O&M InterAide projects are described as follows: Distribution of an ingenious pumping system, facilitating access to drinking water for 3.75 million users of existing rural, hydraulic works. Creation of a local network of craftsmen for maintenance and for the distribution of spare parts.

See complete information on link : www.fondationensemble.org/newsletter/NL17_GB.pdf

Area Mechanic presentation - Tikonze Mjigo

Area mechanics (AM) are identified with help of the District and the communities, then trained CBM1 (Community Based Management Level 1) & CBM2 on Afridev.

Tools kits and Push bike provided when they sign a 2 years contract in which they engage themselves to be active in their catchment’s area and attend monthly meeting s organized by the project. They have to work as independent workers and get labour charges from the communities. At the beginning of the project, they get technical supports and tips on community social approach from InterAide Maintenance assistants (one is present in each district and is mobile with a motorcycle).

During the monthly meetings, they report on the contracts signed, get in touch with the maintenance project and share experience with others AM.

There are 2 main types of contracts:

• The reparation contract to repair a broken hand pump. Cost between 500 Mk and 1.200 Mk. The contract has a guarantee of one month.
  


• The maintenance contract only deals with functional hand pump for preventive maintenance (4 visits per year). Cost around 1.200 Mk.