Malcolm White, former Water and Sanitation Sector Adviser at Irish Aid in South Africa, has taken up a new position as CoWater Project Manager for a rural water supply and sanitation project in Lesotho. Funded by Government of the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and managed by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the project aims to supply 250 new or upgraded water systems and up to 10 000 VIP latrines in the rural (mainly mountain) regions of Lesotho. The Canadian company CoWater won the bid to manage the project for MCC/MCA. The project also intends to support and provide capacity building activities with the Lesotho Government/Ministry of Natural Resources Department of Rural Water Supply. It is an approximately US$ 37 million project over three years.

There will be no new Water and Sanitation Sector Adviser at Irish Aid in Pretoria, as a result of budget uncertainties.

Related web site: Millennium Challenge Corporation : Lesotho

Source: Malcolm White, personal e-mail ; Cowater, Sep 2009

Tags: africa, financing, on-site sanitation, water supply