Area Mechanics zones

When Area mechanics start to work on their zone, a map representing it is provided to each of them.

These zones definition criteria are:
- The  Area mechanics lives quite in the center of it
- It must contain a sufficient number of hand pump (about 50 Afridev or Malda is a good number) to give enough work to the Area mechanic to perform its activity actively
- Its size must be compliant with bike travels

A geographic information system (GIS) has been used to define these maps.

See above an example of a zone in Mchinji:

O&M in Malawi - End 2012 Situation

In 2011 and 2012, InterAide O&M activity has been extended to Chiradzulu and Mulange (South Region) and to Ntchisi and Dedza (Central Region).

This program covers now 10 districts, and 250 area mechanics propose their services to the communities (skill are mainly on Afridev hand-pump model). In all these area, InterAide also provides Afridev spare parts accessibility through a network of shops (complementary with Chipiku stores).

 2300 have been repaired from January to October 2012 thanks to Area mechanics interventions, allowing access to safe water for 575 000 people.

 

Kasungu - Area Mechanics distribution

Kasungu district is the biggest district manage by the Tikonze Mjigo project in central region (140 km from North to South and 115 km from East to West). According to UNICEF datas from December 2009, we find here 2106 Afridev handpumps. The number of Area Mechanics which is necessary is about 37 (areas above are 15 km diameter, and contain about 75 Afridev).

O&M efficiency indicator - Salima example

An inventory on hand pump has been organized in Salima district from July to December 2010.

The 28 Area Mechanics of Salima District made this study and visited 1,871 water points in total.

On this total, 1714 are equipped with a pump, and 1507 are equipped with a pump and are functioning. Consequently, the functioning rate is 88%, and 409 WP can be added to the data base of 1305 WP . Out of these 1714 WP equipped with a pump, 78 WP have a pump totally worned out, 17 WP are not working but don’t need any repairing because water is salty, and 25 WP are dry. Consequently, we should consider that the WP without pump or with a pump totally broken, which represent 12.5% of the WP, don’t need repairing, but rehabilitation. These are out of the maintenance project. It is the same for the dry water point, and for salty water point (2.4% of the WP). Then, 1594 WP are possible to be maintained in Salima district, we will deal with this figure on the project. On these 1594 WP, 1507 are functioning, which gives a functioning rate of 94.5%.

If we compare the figures of 2004 and those of 2010, as we see in the following table, we can see an improving of functioning rate of 19% for Afridev and 23% for Malda, as we can see in the following table.

These figures show the high level of efficiency of O&M projects.

Hand pumps and Security

Number of hand pump thieves and vandalizing has increased a lot in the past few years.

The high cost of stolen spare parts replacement for community leads to many non working hand pumps.

To prevent that, O&M project propose security systems.

An optimized way to secured the water point (picture shows an overview of the solution for Afridev) has been elaborated and promoted (with fliers) through Area Mechanic network.

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:

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.