DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Community Water Supply, Sanitation and Health Project (CWASH)

Rationale of the Project

Salyan is remote hill district in mid-western Nepal and is also highly affected by the insurgency. Salyan was classified as a category ‘A’ district by the government (a Maoist core area, and a district which experienced a high number of causalities). RRN has been implementing development projects in Salyan for a number of years, which included large number of quick-impact infrastructure development projects. Rivulets and some springs are the only sources of water. Women and children are compelled to fetch water from long distances (often 2 to 3 km from their homes) or otherwise consume from unsafe sources. RRN has observed the need for adequate and safe water and sanitation facilities.

General Objective

The general objective of this project is to establish community managed drinking water, personal hygiene, sanitation and primary health care support activities to the conflict affected communities in selected VDCs of Salyan district.

Specific Objectives

• To establish 4-5 community drinking water systems to provide clean water directly to about 2,297 people who do not have access to safe water.
  
• To organise and strengthen community-level water, sanitation users committees/groups.
  
• To improve sanitation and hygiene by increasing access to toilets, maintenance of sanitation infrastructure and personal hygiene practices.
  
• To improve health and nutrition, and reduce expenditure on medical care on the part of conflict affected people.
  
• To develop community savings for long term repair, maintenance and sustainability of infrastructure.
  
• To provide employment opportunities through basic construction and maintenance.
  
• To empower disadvantaged groups, including women and children through income generation, gender awareness and involvement in social development activities.
  Beneficiaries
  
• Five water supply schemes with 40 tap stands, benefiting 329 households.
  
• In total 55 male and female are involved in WUG. The project has ensured that each WUG has a female treasurer.
  
• In total 41 women are involved in WSG.
  
• Forty TUGs were formed with 283 members (250 female and 33 male).
  
• A total of 84 toilets were constructed with subsidies and two communities of 58 households have constructed toilets with no subsidies through CLTS approach and have declared “Open Defecation Free Community”
  
• Four, seven-day Health Worker Refresher Training was organised for 83 participants (VHWs, FCHVs, TBAs, and MCHWs).
  
• Medical kits (80 pcs.) were distributed to village health workers.
  
• Four, three-day Basic Health and Sanitation Trainings were organised for 102 participants attended by the WUG chairpersons, teachers, and representatives from the WSGs and members of the TUGs.
  
• Child clubs were established with 79 members (male and female).
  
• One, three-day Management training was organised for 21 participants of WUGs from 5 schemes.
  
• One, eleven-day Repair and Maintenance Training was organised for 16 participants.
  
• One-day orientation training was organised for 43 representatives of child clubs.

Results

• Water collecting period reduced from one hour to 30 minutes.
  
• An operation and maintenance fund is now established in all project sites. The fund is also being used to provide credit facilities to the more vulnerable members.
  
• Open defecation has apparently reduced by over 90% in project sites with toilets constructed.
  
• There is now increased awareness of hygiene and sanitation practices on washing hands before having meals and after going to toilet as well as storing water in clean containers and storing food to reduce contamination has been practiced.
  
• More people are now opting to use government health facilities.
  
• A video has been commissioned in Nepali on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) to raise awareness within communities.