HYSAWA is a non-profit financial organization established under the Ministry of Local Government, Bangladesh. The organization works on hygiene, sanitation, and safe water supply through capacity building of Union Parishads. Since 2008, the private non-profit organization HYSAWA (Hygiene, Sanitation and Water Supply) has provided WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) services to more than 1 crore rural poor people in Bangladesh. Since its inception, HYSAWA has worked in a total of 27 districts including Bagerhat, Satkhira, Khulna, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Hatia, Noakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Rangpur, Patuakhali, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar.
HYSAWA works primarily in areas with severe drinkable water shortages, poor sanitation, and the presence of marginalized poor communities. Installing safe water sources is one of the main services of HYSAWA. So far, the organization has installed more than 84 thousand water sources across the country. These include Tube-wells, Sawyer Filters, Rainwater Harvesting Plants, and Reverse Osmosis Plants. The beneficiaries from these water sources of HYSAWA are more than 43 lakhs.
In addition, HYSAWA has constructed and renovated more than 17 lakh sanitary latrines in project areas to ensure sustainable sanitation in rural areas. These include Institutional, Household, and Public Latrines. At the same time, since its establishment, HYSAWA has been providing hygiene services through awareness rising programs in rural areas. These include Hand Washing, Menstrual Hygiene Management, Latrine Hygiene, Food Hygiene, Safe water Planning, and Waste Management.
In addition, HYSAWA also works on climate change adaptation. The institute installs Climate Resilient Water Sources and Latrines in climate-vulnerable areas. HYSAWA installs water sources and latrines on elevated platforms in areas prone to cyclones, floods, and other natural disasters. Along with the construction of climate-resilient tube wells and latrines, HYSAWA encourages the people of the project area to plant trees along with advanced smoke-free stoves, and use solar panels to protect the environment. Apart from this, the organization also works on the elimination of gender inequality and the inclusion of the disabled.
HYSAWA provides financial and technical assistance to Union Parishads in setting up water sources and latrines. The institute provides necessary repair parts by training two persons per tube well in the maintenance of water sources. Apart from this, committees were also formed for the maintenance of institutional and public latrines.
HYSAWA provides project-based WaSH services in rural areas of the country with financial support from various donor groups. At present, the organization is working to provide WaSH services among the local communities of Teknaf and Ukhiya in Cox's Bazar district with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). HYSAWA is also conducting a research project on maintaining safe water sources in schools and communities in Khulna district with the help of Oxford University.
Md. Nurul Osman, Acting Managing Director of HYSAWA said that, after the Rohingya infiltration in Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazilas, many national and international organizations started working with the Rohingya community, but very few organizations paid attention to the local communities. HYSAWA has worked closely with host communities in Teknaf and Ukhia, which have been in crisis since the Rohingya influx.
Besides, HYSAWA conducted awareness-raising activities and provided necessary materials in the project areas to prevent Covid-19 from the very beginning of the deadly virus’s spread. The organization has set up 105 handwashing stations immediately. At the same time, the organization has provided necessary materials including PPE, hand gloves, sanitizer, masks, and soap to the project areas to prevent Coronavirus.
-20241021100302.jpg)
