The 1.979million Euro African Water Facility (AWF) /Tripartite Partnership (TPP) pilot initiative is the first AWF approval for Ghana since the beginning of its operations in 2006. The facility has since its establishment approved 61 projects for other African countries involving a total Grant amount of Euro70 million. The start of the TPP pilot projects will mark the start of another important project in the urban WASH sector after the ongoing Accra Sewerage Improvement Project funded by the African Development Bank (ADB). The Resident Representative of the African Development Bank (ADB) Group, Mr Alieu Jeng made this revelation when he addressed the launch of the AWF/TPP pilot project in Accra. The AWF is an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) to mobilise and apply resources for the development of Africa’s water sector. The AWF is hosted at and administered by the ADB. Mr. Jeng stated that AWF in line with its mandate to improve water governance and service delivery as well as innovation-promoting investments, has provided a grant of Euro 1.979million to support the implementation of the TPP pilot projects. He added that the project will seek to contribute to the promotion of improved health and quality of life of the urban poor in Ghana using the tripartite partnership approach involving the public, private and NGO sectors as a key strategy. According Mr. Jeng expected outcomes of the AWF/TPP pilot project entail the strengthening of institutional capacity of local government to plan and implement pro poor WASH service delivery to urban poor. More importantly the pilot projects will ensure the delivery of improved WASH services to about 45000 people in the 3 pilot towns. He admitted that the TPP facility was approved following a long and very competitive process. He cited the establishment of leaning and knowledge management structures, the support to the establishment of Resource Centre Network, the strong support from the sector ministries and agencies as good start made by the TPP project since 2008 which formed the basis for AWF pilot approval. Mr. Jeng expressed the hope that even though the bulk of AWF support will go to infrastructure improvements, the effort of the project staff will be more channelled towards learning, material development, promotion of policy dialogues and pro-poor advocacy activities. He called on key stakeholders to support TREND and the 3 beneficiary communities of Ashaiman in the Ashaiman Municipality, Mankessim in the Mfantseman Municipality and Huni Valley in the Prestea Huni Valley District Assembly. “Our expectation is that the 3 Assemblies will exercise their ownership and management roles throughout the project implementation and provide all the needed support to bring to fruition the laudable objectives set for the project” He concluded.