Momentum for Total Sanitation in Serala Gaun village
Dirty toilets, open defecation, unsafe drinking water and bad hygiene in general create big health risks affecting everyone in the community, but women and children suffer most. Although rural people do not have knowledge about safe water and sanitation hygiene, they love to live a clean and healthy life. Therefore they are enthusiastic about the SDG target- 6 defined as "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all"
Momentum for Total Sanitation in Serala Gaun:
After the village achieved the Open Defecaton Free declaration (ODF), the big challenge was: how to ensure the behavior change will last. The response was continue improving sanitation until achieving Total Sanitation.
Serala guan is a remote place in Thalara rural municipality of Bajhang district in Sudurpashchim Province. The number of households in Serala gaun (village) is 28. All households built water sealed toilets. Focus group discussion participants talked about the construction of cement drying racks, washing and hand washing platforms. The people built two community pits for burning plastic and non- composting waste. Recycling waste water was widely promoted and accepted for watering home gardens.
Success of Serala Gaun:
Total sanitation was fully embraced by the community and was supported by Tahlara Rural Municipality and RVWRMP. RVWRMP provided social and technical training to the Thalara RM and together with the stakeholders they prepared a plan for implementation of Total Sanitation.
The movement for Total Sanitation came together with a package of capacity building activities. These activities are implemented by the health promotors being trained by RVWRMP. There were trainings of the mothers group, child club, FCHV, youth club, women leaders, school teachers and leader farmers. The activities were attended by many women because better sanitation and hygiene directly benefits to women and girls. Safe drinking water and improved sanitation is the basic need for women that allows their development in other social and economic areas.
Trainings the child club and regular monitoring of youth club in their tasks,
The households that are not keeping house and toilet clean are penalized.
Community has divided sanitation status into 3 types of house using colorful flags in the rooftop and categorized as 1st as green house (being totally sanitized), 2nd as blue house and 3rd as yellow house (lacking many elements of total sanitation).
The households that are not keeping house and toilet clean are penalized.
Monitoring of sanitation progress is done by child club, youth club along with community.
