World Water Week 2024: WHH Sessions
Join Welthungerhilfe colleagues from across Germany, India and Zimbabwe at our two sessions at World Water Week: one exploring how sports, music, and arts can strengthen WASH systems, and another facilitating a peer exchange of Agenda for Change collaborators on qualitative evidence generation among WASH systems intervention champions.
The theme of this year’s World Water Week is: "Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future." Welthungerhilfe is excited to contribute to this conversation by facilitating a participatory exchange on evidence generation on WASH systems strengthening to foster a delivery culture that breaks sector silos, leverages the latest evidence on what works or does not and adapts to changing realities. Additionally, we will showcase how the universal languages of sport, art and music can be combined with behavior change communication to achieve positive, sustainable changes in WASH practices.
Both of these sessions focus on initiatives that are integral to our WASH systems strengthening approach, which seeks to develop sustainable and efficient WASH service delivery systems that are resilient to external influences and challenges such as climate change, population growth, and economic fluctuations. This comprehensive approach goes beyond the traditional infrastructure focus and takes into account the broader environment - financial, institutional, technical, environmental and social factors - necessary for long-term sustainability.
Welthungerhilfe invites you to join our two sessions on framing qualitative evidence on WASH systems strengthening and the Universal Languages for Behaviour Change, co-hosted with our partners Agenda for Change, IRC-WASH and Viva con Agua.
SESSION 1
Taking stock in systems strengthening programming framing qualitative evidence
Conveners: Welthungerhilfe, Agenda for Change
August 26th, 2024 | 9:00 - 10:30 (CET)
Participate in person (Room 26, Level 2)
During this interactive session, Welthungerhilfe and Agenda for Change will lead various stakeholders, including NGOs, researchers and donors, through a discussion on participatory approaches and methods for measuring WASH systems change interventions.
A change in the context, e.g., a new government policy, can radically alter the relevance of planned activities in reference to systems strengthening interventions. The session, designed as a Thinkshop, will bring together different collaborators under Agenda for Change and the Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) to exchange on participatory approaches and methods for qualitatively measuring systems change to promote informed and inclusive action to address water-related security risks.
Moderators:
- Bethlehem Mengistu, Agenda for Change
- Irene Gai, Welthungerhilfe
- Stef Smits, IRC WASH
SESSION 2
Beyond Language Borders: WASH Systems Strengthening through Sports, Arts, and Music
Conveners: Welthungerhilfe, Viva con Agua, IRC WASH
August 29th, 2024 | 14:00 - 15:30 (CET)
Participate in person (C2, Level 2) or online for free (Register at: worldwaterweek.org)
Despite numerous health-promotion approaches developed over the past few decades, achieving sustainable behavior change in WASH practices remains a challenge. By sharing our experiences and lessons learned, Welthungerhilfe, Viva con Agua and IRC-WASH will demonstrate how combining Behavior Change Communication with the universal languages of sports, music, and arts can trigger lasting behavior change at the micro level. These changes can then be scaled through systems-strengthening approaches to influence policies and establish sustainable social norms related to safe practices in water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
Welthungerhilfe, Viva con Agua, and IRC-WASH will lead a dynamic discussion on how Universal Language for Behavior Change (UL4BC) impacts community empowerment, demand creation, and local governance.
Speakers:
- Ruchika Shiva, IRC WASH
- Aparna Lall, Welthungerhilfe India
- Belinda Abraham, Viva con Agua
- Berna Namwanje, Viva con Agua Uganda
- Davina Cochrane, Artist from Germany
Moderators:
- Christian Wiebe, Viva con Agua
- Olivia Kunz, Welthungerhilfe
Contact:
For more information about our presence at World Water Week or our WASH programs, please reach out to us: wash(at)welthungerhilfe.de
