Capacity building training of WASH entrepreneurs and service providers

Howrah and South 24 Parganas (West Bengal)

 

For Water For People (WFP)

Year: 2024

Water For People (WFP) is an international non-profit organization motivated by the belief that water is a human right. WFP India has emerged as a niche organization with focused water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs that cater to the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, inclusive of public institutions such as Anganwadi centres, schools, and health centres.

The organization in collaboration with Samavit, aims to implement Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) funded by UNICEF, to provide an eight-day training for the WASH sector entrepreneurs and service providers. The on-ground team trained approximately 180 participants, focusing on entrepreneurship development, technical knowledge, raising awareness within the WASH sector and improving their livelihoods while fostering sustainable development in their communities.

Following were the project objectives:

  • To deliver training in 4 batches (per batch consists of WASH entrepreneurs and service providers) in different blocks of Howrah and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, ensuring hands-on and interactive sessions for participants and providing mentorship and ongoing support to ensure practical application of the training received.
  • To enhance knowledge and awareness in terms of ‘Know, Grow and Formalize’ business for WASH sector entrepreneurs and service providers.
  • To provide and enhance financial literacy of the entrepreneurs and service providers in their vernacular language.

The project rollout involved the following major steps:

  • Inception Meeting: An initial meeting was conducted with the WFP team to align objectives, strategies and training content.
  • Training Needs Assessment (TNA): Conducted a thorough assessment to identify the specific training needs of the participants.
  • Module Design: Developed a framework for designing modules for entrepreneurs’ development and technical training of trade specific service providers in the WASH sector.
  • Training Implementation: Conducted comprehensive training sessions for entrepreneurs and sanitation workers, benefiting approximately 180 participants across 4 batches in two districts of West Bengal: Howrah and South 24 Parganas.
  • Evaluation: Evaluation consisted of designing and administering a comprehensive feedback form to assess the overall effectiveness of the capacity-building exercise.

Samavit’s team completed module designing for entrepreneurs and service providers and successfully conducted training for both the batches in 2 districts of West Bengal (Howrah and South 24 Parganas). During training, various participatory activities were also incorporated like- Case studies, Hands-on exercises, Audiovisual tools and delivered the training in English and Bengali (local vernacular language). Subsequent feedback from participants provided valuable insights for future initiatives.