Meet Nirere Aline, District Facilitator of the WASH Systems Academy training for Isoko y'Ubuzima in Rwanda
My experience is that the courses of the WASH System Academy are easy to follow and they are designed in such a way that it is easy to remember what you have learned. This makes that you feel more comfortable in supporting others in the WASH sector.
Published on: 18/04/2023
Aline Nirere is one of the District facilitators for the WASH Systems Academy in the Eastern districts of Rwanda (Kayonza, Nyagatare, and Rwamagana) for the Isoko y'Ubuzima project. Aline shares her experience as District Facilitator for the courses she supported.
For which course(s) you have provided facilitation support?
How are you using E-learning at the district level? Can you share your experiences with that? Did it work?
I use my E-learning skills at the district level by helping the WASH office and DWASH board members in joining the WASH Systems Academy and following up on the courses that are being done at the district level and mobilising other staff to join the E-learning.
I motivate district leaders to consider the building blocks as they are interconnected which means that, as the district invests more in infrastructure development, the district must also fund infrastructure management, monitoring, and ensure water resources management which feeds into WASH systems. All this to ensure the sustainability of infrastructures the district invests in.
It helps me in advocating for WASH infrastructures during the planning and budgeting phase and to prioritise WASH funding
The experience I gained is that when you focus really well on the courses of the WASH Systems Academy, they are easy to understand. They are designed in such a way that it is easy to remember what you have learned and you feel comfortable in supporting others in the WASH sector.
Can you give us some examples of what is working well and what is not?
What is good is that district staff are taking E-learning courses and some have already obtained their certificates. The courses of the WASH Systems Academy are well prepared and include podcasts series of experts sharing their experiences. This is very inspiring for WASH practitioners and urges them to take more courses.
The way you are able to share your own experiences through E-learning is also considered an added value.
What is not working so well is that learning through the WASH Systems Academy requires airtime bundles and that can be very expensive. When you do not log into the WASH Systems Academy for 90 days, the course become inaccessible. If possible, this timeline must be extended to 180 days.
Another thing is that the certificates are not recognised internationally, so if possible, something should be done about that.
What are the benefits of using E-learning?
An E-learning student is always informed of the latest information on WASH systems and this helps to increase the skills on WASH systems.
Different people around world are able to share ideas and experiences on WASH through the WASH Systems Academy platform.
When you have finished a course, you can get a certificate and the value your CV increases.
What are the challenges?
It is fairly easy to sensitise people to join the E-learning courses, they register and start on the lessons but to continue and actually finish a course seems to be an issue.
While we study, we may have some questions, and it would be good to have an easy online system in place for asking questions and getting answers.
Once you have finished a course, you cannot go back for a review.
What would be your tips for others?
I would advise others to complete the course in one month. Block at least 30 minutes per day to study in the WASH Systems Academy and 2 hours during the weekend, because if you do not make yourself finish the course in one month it becomes a burden. And after 90 days the course is no longer accessible.
The second tip, while you study it is important to remember the short quizzes in each of the sessions because in the final test some these questions come back and then the test is easier to do.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Just to thank everyone who participates in the elaboration, establishment, and preparation of courses in the WASH Systems Academy. I hope that different courses about the environment will be added, as our world continues to deteriorate due to human activities. It would make sure that we are well-equipped with environmental protection knowledge to support district staff.
See information about our courses planned for Rwanda
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