Eastern Equatoria State last week hosted its first-of-its-kind WASH Expo, convened by the State Ministry of Local Government and Law Enforcement and the State Ministry of Housing, Land, and Public Utility in partnership with VNG International.
The expo was held under the theme “Building WASH Ecosystems: Systems Approaches and Synergies for Sustainable Service Delivery and Development.”
The two-day event gathered stakeholders from state institutions, community structures including Water Management Committees, Payam WASH Forums, Women in WASH, Hand Pump Mechanics Associations, civil society, technical agencies, and the private sector, as well as the National Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, to share lessons and accelerate WASH as a driver of social, economic, and environmental progress. The event positioned Eastern Equatoria as a strong example for the rest of the country.
At the opening and closing of the Expo, Governor Louis Lobong Lojore praised WASH teams in Kapoeta North, Kapoeta South, Kapoeta East, and Torit, while stressing that “progress is not yet achievement” until all communities have durable access to safe water.
He urged community ownership and cost-sharing for maintaining boreholes and purchasing spare parts as external aid declines.
The Expo spotlighted the Sustainable Development through Improved Local Governance (SDLG) programme—a partnership between the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and VNG International, now active in Torit, Kapoeta North, Kapoeta South, and Kapoeta East.
SDLG strengthens community self-reliance to prevent and resolve water-related conflicts, also working with the South Sudan Local Government Board and the National Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to realize impact beyond Eastern Equatoria State alone.