Page 19 - Male Champion Profiles

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Andrew

Mukuti

Andrew is Young African Leader (YALI) Mandela Washington Fellow 2019 in Civic Engagement in Water and
Sanitation. He has eight years of experience in water resources management, Integrated Water Resource
Management (IWRM) and Transboundary Water Management. This includes development of strategies and
project coordination to ensure rural communities have access to clean drinking water and good sanitation
services, water sector governance, policy reform, and water infrastructure development.

As the Chirundu District Water Development Officer, Andrew played a pivotal role in managing shared
water resources along the Zambezi River. His responsibilities included cross-border coordination,
facilitating cooperation between Zambia and Zimbabwe on Zambezi River governance and ensuring
alignment with regional frameworks. During the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project, Andrew served as a
liaison between governments, international financiers and local stakeholders where he focused on
sustainable dam operations, conflict mitigation, and balancing competing water needs while fostering
inclusive stakeholder engagement.

A strong advocate for gender equality in water governance, Andrew implemented reforms to ensure 50%
women’s representation in Village WASH committees, transforming traditionally male-dominated
community water-point management structures. He prioritized gender-balanced trainings in borehole
maintenance and hygiene promotion, closing skill gaps and empowering women in leadership roles.
Recognizing that water scarcity disproportionately affects women, he championed menstrual health
advocacy by improving gender-sensitive sanitation in rural schools reducing girls’ absenteeism through
better water access, privacy, and reusable pad initiatives.
Andrew also established women-led reporting systems for water infrastructure issues, resulting in faster
repairs and more sustainable management. By partnering with NGOs, he advanced projects centered on
women’s needs, such as strategically locating water points to reduce girls’ burden of water collection and
training communities in building safer, sustainable toilets. His work demonstrates that inclusive water
governance leads to more effective and lasting solutions.

Empower a woman in transboundary
waters and you secure a sustainable
water future for all.

District water development officer,
Ministry of water development and Sanitation, Zambia