NATIONAL SANITATION REVOLUTION in Nepal, LESSON LEARNED OF RWSSP-WN

INTRODUCTION OF THE ORGANISATION

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Western Nepal (RWSSP-WN) is a rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene sector support program funded by the Governments of Nepal and Finland. The project period is for four years from 2008 until 2012.

RWSSP-WN is ongoing in nine districts of Nepal. The districts are Myagdi, Baglung, Parbat, Tanahun, Syangja, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi districts of Western Region and Pyuthan district in Mid-Western Region of Nepal. In each district the District Development Committee ( DDC) has selected six Village Development committees (VDCs) for implementation of the activities.

The overall goal of RWSSP-WN is to increase the wellbeing of the rural people, specifically of the poorest and excluded. The work of RWSSP-WN is based on the notion that fulfilling the needs of the poorest and the excluded regarding water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition, and providing them opportunities to increase their own wellbeing through the local governance system will reduce poverty, and result in higher productivity and income.

The local bodies are the executing bodies of RWSSP-WN. The RWSSP-WN is aligned as much as possible with the Government of Nepal and follows Government of Nepal’s own policies, guidelines, planning processes, rules and regulations, and strengthens the local bodies and the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Nepal, and thus can be seen as a project paving the way for a sector wide approach and increased ownership of local bodies in WASH.

It is expected that the work of RWSSP-WN carried out will result in,

well-functioning domestic water schemes that provide safe domestic water to all users and that are managed by inclusive Water Users’ and Sanitation Committees,

changed sanitation and hygienic practices and behavior of people and institutions, strengthened institutional capacity of local bodies to facilitate the implementation, operation and maintenance of

water, sanitation and hygiene sector, and finally in water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector policies, strategies and guidelines prepared.

NATIONAL SANITATION REVOLUTION in Nepal, LESSON LEARNED OF RWSSP-WN

Hygiene and Sanitation are a palpable problem in Nepal. Access to toilets in Nepal is very low and actual use is even lower. The government of Nepal has drafted a Universal Access Plan. As per the plan everyone in Nepal must have access and use a safe toilet by 2017. The subsidy policy for construction of toilets has not proven to be effective because it does not ensure ownership. The experience shows that the toilets constructed with subsidy are not used. Realizing this situation, an approach called Community Led Total Behavior Change (CLTBC) in Hygiene and Sanitation was developed by RWSSP-WN.

The Community Led Total Behavior Change (CLTBC) in Hygiene and Sanitation approach was designed to build local capacity to change hygiene and sanitation behaviors at the household and community levels. Objective is that all community people practice the following five key hygiene behaviors.

a. Hand washing with Soap or Cleaning Agent at four critical timesb. Safe disposal and proper management of faecesc. Safe handling and treatment of Household Drinking Water, Use of nutritious food.d. Regular nail cutting, bathing, cloth washing, daily combing, tooth brushinge. Proper waste management in and out of home.

The beauty of the approach is that the community itself takes the lead and changes its behavior. After the ignition and triggering facilitated by Lead TBC Facilitators trained by the RWSSP-WN the community people become ignited, firstly to stop open defecation and secondly to change behavior in Hygiene and Sanitation.

The process of change happens at district, VDC and community levels. At the district and VDC levels ignition is carried out in order to ensure the required resources and political commitment, whereas at the community level the actual action takes place. The Lead TBC Facilitators train selected community people that are called TBC triggerers. The triggerers start the triggering and negotiation for change on Small Doable Actions (SDA) at household level to improve the hygiene and sanitation behaviors. The process makes people realize that because of open defecation they are eating their own and their neighbors' shit. Once the community people realize this, they start thinking, and take the decision to stop open defecation. They also start seeking for technological options. Several low cost technological options for the construction of the household toilets are provided to the communities and the community constructs the toilets on their own without subsidy as per their capacity and requirement.

The process of ignition and triggering to stop open defaecation has been implemented from January 2010 and as of June 2010, a total of 11 VDCs in Western Nepal have become ‘Open Defecation Free and 77,963 people of 11,775 households have been benefited. This experience shows that a VDC can become ODF within 2-5 months after the ignition and triggering process.

The main focus of this approach is to cover 100 % community people and primarily to encourage to use safe and clean toilet and ultimately change in key hygiene behaviors. The experience shows that toilet construction support has been done by governmental & non-governmental organizations since 4 decades in Nepal. But the entire outcome in the field of hygiene and sanitation remains critical .

The major output of RWSSP-WN in TBC in H&S

In 9 district, 11 VDC level ODF declared & total 77,963 population benefited ,11,775 no. of toilet constructed during January to June 2010. Many VDCs are ready to declared ODF.

51 VDC level ODF will be declared within 2011, towards that triggering process is ongoing Negotiation for change towards TBC in Hygiene and sanitation process is ongoing, 22,124

households have started Small Doable Action s on hygiene and sanitation Expansion of additional VDCs is in process

Major Lesson learned

District WASH Unit supports the VDCs and VDCs supports community for ignition process . Train Lead TBC Facilitators at district level. VDCs and communities developed their action plan for creating ODF VDC Consensus building between the DDC and VDC to continue the process of reviewing and reflecting

periodically. TBC triggers conduct regular home visit for negotiation for change- household dialogue program and

develop household hygiene and sanitation plan VDCs and Community Hygiene and Sanitation Action Committee (CHSAC) establish community

mobilization system for behavior change in hygiene and sanitation i.e. sanitation CHAUTARI , community conversation program, institutional hygiene and sanitation plan, sanitation campaign, strategy of model houses, model village and process of ODF , TBC declaration and rewarding.

Select a convenient day and take appointment for all village/cluster people to participate in the ignition process

Start the initial activity for rapport building Review the performance of TBC triggers Reflect on achievements and difficulties Refresh the past learning , recharge new learning Do not ask community for toilet construction but make them realize that they are eating each other's

shit. Do not promise for subsidy for toilet construction. In all process involve local leaders, natural leaders, female community health volunteers, women

groups, child club, CBOs etc All WASH stakeholders work in co-ordinated way and mobilize available resources effectively, efficiently

and transparently. Triggering is most powerful tool for awareness creation in TBC in Hygiene and Sanitation.

Develop partnerships and encourage all WASH stakeholders to work to declare VDC level ODF declaration .

This is a step towards a national sanitation and hygiene revolution, let us work together to make ODF in all 3915 VDCs of Nepal for the betterment of the people.

Chhabi GoudelHealth and Sanitation Specialist

RWSSP-WN , Pokhara, NepalE.mail: cgoudel@gmail.com

ODF declaration ceremony in Kapilvastu district in Nepal

Low cost toilet constructed after the triggering

Walk of pride for ODF declaration in Mahendrakot VDC Nepal

Low cost toilet

District officials, Facilitators, Villagers Dancing during the ODF declaration program in Ranipani VDC, Parbat district Nepal.

Walk of pride during ODF declaration ceremony in Parroha VDC in Rupendehi District Nepal