Awareness and Communication Strategy 5.2.4 Provision of Services to Poor Communities Communicate that making clean water accessible and productive to the poor is a responsibility and not a choice. To who: Policy makers in health, water, rural development and local government, water service providers and potential recipient communities. How: Public events especially in the form of workshops, dialogues, advocacy activities, drama, displays and marches; publications i.e. leaflets and brochures, education especially short term training, Internet and e-mail mass media especially community radio and newspapers, and extension services. Clean water and adequate sanitation is a basic necessity for all people. The challenge is not just the failure to mobilise resources to provide water supply schemes for the poor communities but to also tackle issues surrounding sustainability due to inability as well as unwillingness to pay which further exacerbate the problem. As a social responsibility for Governments, there is a need to provide water, sanitation and hygiene to the poor communities. This should include subsidisation of the poor on their water tariffs and cross-subsidisation amongst users. The messages may also highlight allowing some free water for the poor whose quantity is defined and tariffs applies. Also important is the provision of productive water in rural water supply schemes where possible. This should be over and above the domestic water requirements and should aim at ensuring that some small income is generated to pull them out from extreme poverty and be able to pay for the water bill. Page 27