Over 70 per cent of all Malians living in rural areas access their drinking water from manual pumps that operate at a low functionality rate of 50 per cent. In consequence, villagers spend long hours for water collection; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) levels are poor; and rural dwellers are forced to leave their homes in search for better living conditions.

Under the joint leadership of the Direction Nationale de l'Hydraulique (DNH) and the Direction Régionale de l'Hydraulique (DRH) the UDUMA public-private-partnership (PPP) project works with the private company Vergnet-Hydro to deliver a permanent, quality, and affordable water service to residents of the the Sikasso region. Within a span of five years (2017-2022) the project aims to transform 1,400 manual pumps to E-pumps; equip these with a meter and data logger to facilitate fair pricing and simplified sampling; and generate 1,500 jobs. Representing the region’s effort to align with Mali's national water strategy, NGO partners include SNV in Mali, Aqua for All, and Akvo.

SNV’s contributions to the UDUMA project are twofold.

• To conduct research surveys that inform the design of sustainable service arrangements, and introduce an affordable tariff payment system (per volume of water consumed) for all households served by the 1,400 E-pumps providing drinking water.

• To carry out training activities, awareness raising campaigns, and develop good governance modules that strengthen the capacities of key project stakeholders to apply gender-inclusive and pro-poor practices in planning for, and implementing improved drinking water services.

Monitoring progress in UDUMA implementation is led by the NGOs, Aqua for All and Akvo.