Y Kuaa: Supporting behaviour change and strengthening the WASH sector in Paraguay

Y kuaa, which means “Water Wisdom” in the Guaraní language, is part of the Lazos de Agua Program. The project is implemented by Fundación Moisés Bertoni along with SENASA, who is responsible for component A as part of the government's multi-million-dollar program. The project’s goal is to use Social Art for Behaviour Change to improve the sustainability of the WASH infrastructure being built in seven designated Paraguay departments. Y kuaa addresses challenges related to the management, maintenance, and sustainability of the water supply networks and sanitation units. Three artists’ groups are carrying out the project’s Social Art for Behaviour Change (SABC) interventions are Jakairá, Crear en Libertad, and Tierra Nuestra.

Access

• The aim is to increase access to water and sanitation services that are safely and sustainably managed. This is done by building or improving infrastructure — in this case, by building or improving piped-water systems to benefit 5,700 households, and connecting more than 11,000 households to a new sewage system.

Behaviour change

• This project fosters the following behaviours through SABC interventions: drinking water treatment and safe storage, handwashing with soap and water at key moments, and payment of the water and sanitation services tariffs. It also aims to train SENASA officers to integrate the SABC approach into their governmental agency’s projects.

Capital

• The Y kuaa project provides 500 micro-loans that are tailored to local communities, to strengthen local ventures that improve access to WASH services.