Active work for improving sanitation during the first half of 2023

WASH Model Village Project has been up and running since the beginning of the year, and great progress has been made during the first half a year. The principal goal of the project is to achieve Total Sanitation status in the project area, which is located in Devchuli Municipality, Nepal.

Workshops and trainings to build capacity

The local partner of WaterFinns in Nepal, CATN (Centre for Appropriate Technology in Nepal), oversees the implementation of the project and has created detailed action plans for the project, as well as organised several training sessions, workshop activities and conferences to enhance collaboration with various local stakeholders. Infrastructure improvements have already started and will continue actively towards the end of the year.

The project has organized sanitation workshops in the two wards located in the project area with ward committee members & ward officials, representatives of political parties, schools and the WUSCs (Water User and Sanitation Committee). The goal of the workshops has been to discuss the present functional status of existing water supply schemes and their service level, key challenges for sustainability, and strengthening the capacity of WUSCs.

MVP has also hosted training for sanitation volunteers in the project area with the participation of 25 sanitation volunteers and members of the sanitation subcommittees of 10 Water Supply and Sanitation areas. The role of sanitation volunteers is to make frequent household visits and monitor the realisation of the Total Sanitation indicators in households. Volunteers will encourage households to carry out hygiene measures and practices at home with a low threshold.

Infrastructure improvements for higher level of sanitation

Along with capacity building, the project will support minor infrastructure improvements needed in achieving Total Sanitation. Four water supply systems will be improved with funding from the project and Devchuli municipality (50/50), while locals will contribute with local materials and labor.  The project gives financial support for improving public toilet facilities. Repairing of two toilets in the local school has already started as well as repairing of hand washing stations at school. 

One of the Total Sanitation indicators is the use of toilets, requiring that toilets have been built in all households, they are clean and have basic facilities like soap and water. MVP encourages and gives advisory support for those households yet without a toilet. Out of 42 households, 7 households have already constructed one, and 6 households have started the construction. Similarly, 75 households have installed the utensil drying rack and started segregating their waste at household level. Waste collecting concrete rings are delivered to 26 locations in Kirtipur, Bandipur, Harkapur and Chhaisar community, including schools and health posts.

Great collaboration with local authorities

Cooperation with the local government and Water User and Sanitation Committees has been efficient and necessary for the success of the project. The work continues as the third quarter is already in full speed. WaterFinns is planning to make a monitoring visit at the end of the year to get a more comprehensive picture on the new infrastructure being built and to participate in the workshop and conference activities with the local stakeholders such as CATN, municipality and the WUSCs.   

Figure 1 : Participants of ward level TS strategic planning workshop in group works in ward no. 6.

Figure 2 Existing toilet of Sarashwoti Basic school, ward No. 6, Kumsot village. The only toilet constructed for students in school is not in a usable condition at present.

Figure 3 Tap and utensil drying rack in a household of ward 6, Birauta Swamighat community. The household has constructed their Utensil drying rack after implementation of TS activities of MVP in the community.