Community management and sustainability of hand pumps in Jebel Aulia, Sudan

The issue of hand pumps management and sustainability is of grave concern in many parts of Sudan especially among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). One such example is the area of Jebel Aulia, located 40 km south of Khartoum. After many years of neglect, the hand pumps management and sustainability system that had been established in the area failed. Some of the root causes for the failure are attributable to the local government authorities. A great asset that can be of benefit to NGOs faced with assisting communities manage and sustain their resources such as hand pumps are community leaders who have influence among their people. One of the best ways as we have witnessed is to tackle hand pumps management and sustainability by organizing the communities first at the lowest possible level. These people at the lowest levels should also be given a say in how their affairs are conducted.