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received little support from local self-help
       groups, and there were no swachhagrahis either
       to help with field-level activity. No wonder,
       they had achieved less than a third of the
       targeted coverage of households with toilets.
           Aishwarya realised that a development
       partner agency was sorely needed to ramp   Aishwarya and her team used fear as a
       up the field force and train them for the job.   motivator and sensitised Nalanda’s residents
       She was eventually able to rope in Unicef and   about the ill-effects of poor sanitation
       Uttarakhand-based GIWA (Global Interfaith
       WASH Alliance) to help hire, train and deploy   toilets at home. These children were made to
       712 swachhagrahis on the CLTS (community   write a postcard addressed to their parents,
       led total sanitation) and PRA (participatory   appealing to them to construct toilets in their
       rural appraisal) models to drive behavioural   homes. This kind of societal pressure worked
       change among Nalanda’s residents.     very well in driving up toilet construction and
           However, since people weren’t willing to   its use in Nalanda’s households.
       fund toilet construction in the early stages, it
       was clear that the standard awareness route   AWAkening Minds
       wasn’t going to be very effective. Aishwarya   These activities had the desired impact over
       and her team decided to use fear as a motivator   the past one year. From 30% toilet coverage
       instead, sensitising Nalanda’s residents to the   at the end of March 2017, Nalanda now has
       ill-effects of poor sanitation on their health and   nearly 80% households with toilets. More
       well-being. With the support of the District   than the numbers, though, it is the heightened
       Magistrate, Aishwarya and the Swachh Bharat   level of awareness among villagers about
       Mission (SBM) team organised a variety of   sanitation and health that’s striking. “We now
       outreach campaigns around this premise.   feel ashamed to even think about defecating in
           For example, the ‘Bhai Number 1’   the open as we know its dangers,” says Sanjeet
       campaign encouraged brothers to construct   Kumar, a farmer from Adampur village.
       toilets for their sisters, and they received   Aishwarya, whose tenure has been
       recognition from the district administration   extended by another six months, says the
       for doing so. The ‘Sharamsaar Yatra’ (Walk of   ZSBP experience has been enriching. “I have
       Shame) sent a powerful message to people who   understood how a developmental scheme is
       went out to defecate. In this campaign, people   carried out; the deciding factors behind its
       were taken back to the spot where they had   success or failure; the influence of community
       defecated, and they were told how they were   ownership in the sustainability of toilets
       practically consuming their own excreta which   and their usage; the power of information,
       could be transmitted on to their food by flies.   education and communication; and most
           The ‘Zidd Karo’ campaign in government   importantly, the influence of the SBM in
       schools had teachers drawing up on the   bringing about positive change in the lives
       blackboard a list of students who didn’t have   of millions.” ˜


       toILEt
       CoVERAGE:          l   Till March 2017: 30%           l   Till March 2018: 79.5%

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