Regional skills and knowledge exchange: expanding the BORDA network into South Africa

BORDA’s team in Durban, South Africa is small, but growing. To exchange skills and knowledge and to increase capacity of the BORDA South Africa team, new team member Lloyd Govender travelled to the BORDA Regional Office in Dar es Salaam in February 2018. Lloyd’s three-week exchange focused on design, operation, and maintenance aspects of DEWATS. Here is a quick view into Lloyd’s thoughts about the experience:

“Arriving with an open mind, ready to learn and absorb as much as possible, I began my adventure with an introduction and simultaneous incorporation into the fast-paced working day of the regional office team.

We visited active DEWATS and faecal sludge treatment plants, as well as sites currently being constructed. A strong emphasis was then placed on understanding and developing the Quality Management Standards (QMS) that will govern the construction, implementation, and operation and maintenance of DEWATS in Tanzania. Having worked in South Africa under strict engineering and construction standards, I was able to share my knowledge with the Tanzanian technical team, who were open and responsive to the new information. As a team, we identified differences and similarities between South African and Tanzanian standards and practices, which will allow us to develop QMS documentation that can transcend the borders of Tanzania.

An informative experience with an amazing team transformed a three-week training program into a knowledge exchange paradise.”