WASH for HEALTHY LIFE (W4HL) project which is a P&G funded project implemented by Society for Family Health in Edo and Nasarawa State to empower communities most affected by WASH challenges, to adopt positive WASH behaviour which will be beneficial for families, communities, and Nigeria at large.

The project focuses on the Software component of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and hinges its activities on promoting strategic behaviour change communication and activities aimed at improving WASH in the communities of intervention. These activities include promoting good handwashing behavior, proper personal hygiene, safe water system and good sanitation practices.

In recognition of the significance community ownership of the project and to promote the maintenance of the learned and adopted behaviour, SFH has strategically engaged with the community leaders/Stakeholders in the intervention communities who will be the voice and the face of the project in their various communities, this was done by the formation of the W4HL Community Advocacy Action Committees.

The committee, which was set up as SFH sustainability strategy, will foster community involvement in the project and as a collective, make demand from government to bring to the grassroots those infrastructures that were erstwhile lacking in their various communities.

The membership of the W4HL advocacy action committee was drawn from existing WASHCOM members, youth leaders, women leaders, and other key influencers in the intervention communities. During the Advocacy action committee inaugural meeting in both states of intervention, the committee members outlined their roles and next steps to support the current interventions in their communities, as well as extending their request to philanthropists in their various communities for support to the project.

We have been making demands from government and have sent letter over and over again to the Karu Local government area and have not received any result. But now that we have come together as a group, I believe we will make headway in getting the needed amenities for our people…Community leader from Gura Community, Karu LGA