During January-September 2014 in Cahul Rayon was conducted the information and awareness raising campaign on the benefits of public service of water supply and sanitation. The campaign entitled ‘Quality water in your locality’ was conducted by the South Regional Development Agency in partnership with Cahul Rayon Council with the financial support of the German Government through the project ‘Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova’ managed the German Development Cooperation through GIZ. The final Conference was held in the courtroom of Cahul rayon Council, with the participation of over 60 people: representatives of local public administration of level II and I from Cahul, project partners, representatives of educational institutions, environmental NGOs, local and regional mass media, donors. Representatives of non-governmental organization – CRAION CONTACT-Cahul who managed the campaign for communication with citizens and partners in the rayon have made public the results of the campaign.
During the campaign there were produced and distributed promotional materials: 2000 brochures – ‘ABC of water consumer’, 4000 flyers, 400 posters and wall calendars with identity elements of the campaign, 1,360 hats and shirts, all materials promoting the same message: the benefits of a modern system of water supply and sanitation for health, economic and environmental protection benefits. Citizens and guests of Cahul town are informed about the campaign’s message through 5 billboards. The Information and awareness raising campaign was marked by public events with a major social impact. Cultural contest- Youth, dream, courage organized for the first time in the country on 21 March 2014, entitled ‘Our everyday water’ dedicated to the World Water Day. Ludmila Noni, lecturer at the State University ‘B.P.Hasdeu’ in Cahul and leader of a contest’s team regarding the interaction of the working group in organizing the competition and the results.
During the campaign there were organized three thematic drawing contests with full participation of 575 children and students from Cahul rayon, which according to age groups exhibited drawings on the following themes: ‘Water Story’, ‘Water is life’ and ‘Water – between dream and reality’. Creating a virtual exhibition and the announcement of the contest ‘public sympathy’ aroused great interest, manifested through the large number of visits and assessments made on the campaign’s facebook profile www.facebook.com/pages/Apă-de-calitate-la-TINE-in-localitate/1451845621714122. The Working Group had difficulty in identifying the winners because of the large number of works. About how decisions were made and what were the criteria for assessment at the conference spoke Mrs Svetlana Radu, a specialist within Cahul municipality.
During March to May 2014 in 48 educational institutions in Cahul Rayon were organized 70 thematic lessons with pupils of 7th-8th grade. During the thematic classes were involved about 1500 students and teachers. The group of trainers consisting of teachers, employees of the Cahul Public Health Centre and Cahul Ecological Agency discussed with students on the Rayon’s water sources, centralized and decentralized sources, drinking water and polluted water, sources of water pollution, contributing to the education of caring attitude towards water sources and the environment.
Part of the campaign’s activities was addressed to adults from the Rayon. During the public meetings held in the rayon’s localities was discussed about issues related to drinking water supply and sewerage services, the need for community mobilization and effort coagulation to connect to secure centralized sources that provides benefits and guarantees, but relies on the responsibility of citizens to pay in due time for services for consumption.
The population Cahul Rayon was involved in the campaign and other public activities, such as the event of 1 June organized as entertainment for all children and as information event for adults. The singer Adrian Ursu To was invited to this celebration to make it more attractive, and by his performance the plaza gathered hundreds of children and parents. Oxana Bondari, economist at ME Apa-Canal Cahul made a presentation within the conference on the results of this event related to citizen’s information.
According to preliminary data in the course of the campaign were directly involved over 15,000 inhabitants of the rayon of different ages, but the multiplier effects of activities continue to occur and generate new results. Some activities of the campaign will follow in the near future, the fact is that, the campaign’s message is spread widely in the rayon and this has created better outcomes for citizens’ awareness of the need to use potable water from the tap.
At the end of the conference Mr Veaceslav Balanel, vice president of Cahul rayon and president of the working group noted that the campaign comes in line with the vision and socio-economic development strategy of Cahul Rayon, water and sanitation component, therefore the results are beneficial to all population. He thanked all partners for their efforts and said that the water and sanitation remains a priority problem for Cahul Rayon Council.
Silvia Strelciuc, executive director of CRAION CONTACT-Cahul said that the success of the campaign is due to efficient cooperation between state and non-governmental institutions, which ensured a greater resonance of activities. Wide promotion within the campaign of the services of the provider of public services ‘Apa-Canal Cahul’ empowers and obliges it even more to provide modern and quality services to all consumers.
The conference ended with a speech of Mr Sergiu Pleşca, GIZ advisor within South RDA. Mr Pleşca said that the list of localities connected to the services of the regional provider ME Apa-Canal Cahul in the near future will add another locality – Lebedenco commune that consists of three villages: Lebedenco, Hutulu and Ursoaia. This initiative will improve the water supply situation of the citizens of these localities, giving start to extending the service on cluster D (Cahul-Gavanoasa), hence the need to ensure drinking water is high enough.
Information and awareness raising campaign of citizens from Cahul rayon is organized in collaboration with the South Regional Development Agency, Cahul Rayon Council, Cahul Public Health Centre, Cahul Environmental Agency, Cahul Education Division, Association of Mayors of Cahul, Cahul town hall, Municipal Enterprise ‘Apa Canal Cahul’ and news portal www.ziuadeazi.md with the support of the German Development Cooperation through GIZ under the project ‘Modernization of Local Public Services in the Republic of Moldova’.
