As part of the IWA Water and Development Congress currently being held in Kigali from December 10 to 14, 2023, AfWASA organized a parallel session on the African Water and Sanitation Academy (AWASA). The aim of this session was to raise awareness of the AWASA concept in order to mobilize strategic and operational partners, as well as beneficiaries, to create demand.
It began with a presentation of the Academy by Dr. Siméon Kenfack, the Director of Programs of AfWASA. He explained, among other things, that mission of AWASA is to provide training to stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector at all levels (technical staff, commercial staff, senior managers, politicians, and regulators), including civil society; to promote education of water and sanitation utilities on WASH issues etc.;  to contribute to decision making in the water sector, mainly through the organization of seminars, exchange workshops, colloquia, and symposiums;  to promoting better management of communities of practice; to increase the heritage that is water by promoting the exchange of information (technical, legal, scientific, cultural) and thematic reflections.

A panel discussion followed the presentation, enabling various stakeholders to give their views on the academy. Overall, it was clear that the advent of AWASA is to be welcomed, as it fills a major gap in the field of training. The institution presents itself as a training center that raises the level and the way the training of trainers is organized. It should be a place for sharing experience, successes and organizational achievements.
As host of the academy, National Water and Sewerage Corporation Uganda was keen to reassure the audience of its ability to successfully complete the project, as it has the necessary resources and expertise.
The financial partner, German Water Partnership (GWP), expressed its delight at the collaboration. He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting this project, which is so dear to the water and sanitation sector and to AfWASA.
Finally, the honor fell to AfWASA President Dr. Silver Mugisha to conclude the session. He thanked the various speakers, and GWP in particular, for funding the project. He announced that the Ugandan government was about to sign the establishment agreement for the academy in Uganda, and promised the project a resounding success.

It should be noted that the initiative to establish the academy is currently supported by GermanThe initiative to establish the academy is currently supported by GermanCooperation through a collaboration between AfWASA and German WaterPartnership (GWP), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and the Governmentof Uganda. To facilitate the institutionalization and operationalization of theacademy, the African Water and Sanitation Association and the German WaterPartnership have been implementing a project called AGTIWAS (African GermanTraining Initiative for Water and Sanitation) since December 2021.