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The Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) has intensified efforts to expand strategic partnerships in the water and sanitation sector following a high-level engagement with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) aimed at supporting the implementation of its Five-Year Strategic Development Plan (2026–2030).
The engagement forms part of SALWACO’s broader institutional reform agenda designed to position the utility as a more efficient, financially sustainable, and service-driven organisation capable of delivering improved water and sanitation services nationwide.
Speaking during the discussions, SALWACO’s Managing Director, Ing. Tiideni Hawa Jabbi, outlined the company’s mandate and ongoing reforms, noting that the Strategic Development Plan is built around five priority pillars focused on institutional strengthening, infrastructure expansion, improved service delivery, revenue enhancement, and strategic partnerships.
She reaffirmed the company’s alignment with national development priorities, including the Medium-Term National Development Plan, as well as global commitments under Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which seeks to ensure universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.
Presenting further details of the plan, SALWACO’s Planning Manager, Chrisla Alberta Koroma, identified key intervention areas requiring external support, stressing that collaboration with development partners will be critical in achieving long-term sectoral impact.
On behalf of the CRS Country Director, the Coordination and Visualisation Platform Programme Manager, Mr Arthur Chinsman-Williams, welcomed SALWACO’s strategic direction and commended the institution for developing a comprehensive development framework.
He noted that CRS has been actively engaged in Sierra Leone’s WASH sector, working alongside institutions such as the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA), and the Guma Valley Water Company.
Mr. Chinsman-Williams also highlighted CRS’s ongoing Digital Coordination and Visualisation Project, which is aimed at strengthening coordination, planning, and data-driven decision-making within the WASH sector.
He encouraged SALWACO to submit a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the proposed partnership, adding that such collaboration would enable CRS to better support priority areas outlined in the Strategic Development Plan.
He assured the SALWACO delegation that the proposals discussed would be communicated to the CRS Country Director for further consideration.
The engagement underscores SALWACO’s renewed drive to build strong institutional and development partnerships aimed at improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services for communities across Sierra Leone.
