A new effort in responding to COVID-19 in Negelle Arsi + Shashamane

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A new effort in responding to COVID-19 in Negelle Arsi + Shashamane
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News
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Ethiopia
Strapline
IRC WASH Ethiopia is supporting Shashamane and Negelle Arsi woredas on knowledge management around COVID-19.
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In partnership with Amref Health Africa under the WASH First COVID-19 Response Project, IRC WASH Ethiopia is supporting Shashamane and Negelle Arsi woredas on knowledge management.
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The purpose of the project is to coordinate COVID-19 prevention and control interventions at woreda, zone, region and national levels. The project will assist stakeholders to convene meetings and document learnings and plan review and distribution of relevant information and materials to the frontline health workers and communities.
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On December 21, 2020, the project organised a planning meeting with the participation of project beneficiary woredas and towns in Hawassa. The head of Shashamane Town Health Office, Teshome Mohammed, was one of the participants at the meeting. He said the meeting discussed the future response activities and reached consensus on what action to take. Teshome learned that the project will support them on WASH infrastructure, personal protective equipment, and behavioural change communication. He also indicated working in collaboration with the government is effective.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the public took precautionary measures seriously, but overtime carelessness is creeping in. Therefore, this project is an opportunity for the community, according to Erko Bayicha, Negelle Arsi Woreda's Health Office Public Health Emergency Officer.

Samuel Girma is Amref Health Africa's WASH Project Manager. According to Samuel, Amref has supported the government's COVID-19 response. After reviewing their previous activities as a lead consortium member, Amref has planned for this new WASH First COVID-19 Response Project on behalf of WASH SDG program consortium. He said that the aim of the planning workshop was to create synergy among different sectors working on COVID-19 response and to jointly plan for future responses. Samuel also added that IRC WASH Ethiopia will play a great role in documentation and knowledge management activities which could be used as learning for other actors working on the response.

So far, the project conducted a launching and familiarisation workshop, signed an agreement with regional signatories and prepared a 2021 operation plan. With the proposed knowledge management platform, six stakeholder meetings will be held to review the progress and provide support. The progress review will observe the status of agreed actions, feedback on materials, and adjustment of WASH-related content in response to the pandemic. Consequently, communities, health workers, schools and WASH service providers will have a better understanding of mitigation measures against COVID-19. The project will phase out by November 30, 2021.

Theme
Public health
Tags
capacity support
Location
Ethiopia
Negelle Arsi
RIVA Authors
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Primary Author
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Tsegaye Yeshiwas

English
Name prefix
Mr
Surname
Hailu
Member
Ethiopia
RIVA role
Expert
Job description
Communications and Knowledge Management Manager
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Listing introduction
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Tsegaye Yeshiwas has spent his career helping organisations capture, organise, and share knowledge that drives meaningful change. Beginning his professional journey as a journalist in Ethiopia's media sector, he learned how to uncover stories, communicate complex issues clearly, and connect evidence with audiences. Those skills later became the foundation of his work in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, where knowledge is most valuable when it informs decisions, strengthens systems, and improves services.

For more than six years, Tsegaye has worked with IRC WASH Ethiopia/Riva, helping transform research findings, implementation lessons, and field experience into practical knowledge products that support governments, development partners, practitioners, and communities. Currently serving as Communications and Knowledge Management Manager, he leads knowledge management, communications, advocacy, and learning initiatives that strengthen WASH systems and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Through different initiatives, he has helped ensure that evidence and lessons generated from implementation are translated into actionable insights for decision-makers and sector actors.

Having worked as a broadcast journalist, newspaper reporter, editor, and development communication professional, he brings a unique ability to bridge technical knowledge and public understanding. He believes that sustainable WASH services depend not only on infrastructure and financing, but also on effective learning systems that enable organisations and institutions to improve continuously.

Tsegaye holds a Master's degree in Media and Communication and a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Communication from Bahir Dar University. He is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Highlights

  • More than 15 years of experience spanning journalism, communications, and knowledge management
  • Over six years leading knowledge management and learning initiatives in the WASH sector
  • Facilitated organisational learning processes, knowledge capture, and dissemination across multiple WASH projects
  • Developed and managed policy briefs, research publications, newsletters, online courses, multimedia stories, and advocacy materials
  • Member of IRC's/Riva’s Global Editorial Guidance Team
  • Published researcher on risk communication and public health response
  • Fluent in Amharic and English, with extensive experience translating technical knowledge into accessible content for diverse audiences.
LinkedIn link
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsegaye-yeshiwas-95817866/
Profile quote
Bridging knowledge and action
First name
Tsegaye
Job description
Communications and Knowledge Management Manager
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