Earthquake damaged the physical toilet, not toilet in mind

Satta Bahadur Dungaana, aged 55 from Sipapokhare VDC-6 built his latrine with his own effort on the new temporary shelter. His house along with toilet destroyed completely by the earthquake and become homeless for some time. But he encouraged himself to built the temporary shelter nearby his previous house. And, along with the temporary shelter he also built the latrine nearby his present shelter. 

He used his old pan, pipes, U-pipe, CGI sheet, woods and laboured himself and completed on building the latrine. To support him to construct the latrine, some sanitation volunteers from Kathmandu and local communities supported him to complete the building. Now, he is happy and healthy and also encouraged others’ to re-built or, revive the latrines in his communities. 

Written by: Phurba Sange Moktan, June 11, 2015

TOILETS REVIVAL IN PROCESS IN SINDHUPALCHOWK

“Now I have realized that we can use our toilets with maintenance. We saw it damaged but pans and pits were very fine when we cleared the toilets.” These kinds of statements now have arising by many communities. Marking National Sanitation Week-2072 (June 5-11, 2015), toilets revival Campaigns has started in two VDCs (Irkhu and Sipapokhare) with the 30 Sanitation Volunteers’ team from UN-Habitat (local and from Kathmandu). During the campaign, more than 100 toilets were revived in a week with simple maintenance/renovation and spread message to more than 800 HHs that toilet revival is the possible and is also the best way to promote sanitation and stop open defecation.

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WSSCC visit to Sindhupalchowk

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

Chris Williams, Executive Director, WSSCC and Mark Willis, GSF Program Manager, WSSCC made visit to Sindhupalchowk district on May 15, 2013. Ms. Sudha Shrestha, GSF Program Manager, UN-Habitat, Nepal, Mr. Gunaraj Shreshta, National Coordinator, WSSCC, Mr. BB Thapa, Program Director, SEBAC-Nepal, Phurba Sange Moktan, District Coordinator, UN-Habitat, Nepal and GSF Partners from the district accompanied them for the visit.

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GSF Learning Event sets landmark for scaling up sanitation movement in Nepal

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

Global Sanitation Fund (GSF) Learning Event ended with the commitment for scaling up the sanitation movement in GSF implementing districts even more rapid and sustainable way, held on February 21 and 22, 2013 at CHRDU Hall, Nagarkot, Nepal. 

With the quote from Winston Churchill, “The most importing thing in the education is appetite”, Mr. Bhushan Tuladhar, UN-Habitat opened the floor for GSF Learning Event. GSF Perspectives from various stakeholders were shared and made more clarity on GSF understanding from various aspects such as NSHCC, WSSCC, CPM and EA. “GSF program has tried to make clear targets and aimed to be result based,” Said, Mr. Oliver Jones, WSSCC, “It has focused more on behavior change, changing the mindsets.” 

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Perspectives on WASH convergence with Nutrition and Health

By: Mr. Phurba Sange Moktan

Nepal faced a tragedy of diarrhea outbreak across the 25 Mid- and Far-Western districts in 2009 resulting to 59,000 cases and almost 400 related deaths within few months. The situation in the affected districts still remains critical, which are reporting more than 450/1000 diarrheal incidence in each year (Source: HMIS-2010/11).  

Even these days, the affected children in these districts are facing high risks of morbidity that are being associated with acute malnutrition.  Acute malnutrition among under-five children in Nepal is a silent emergency.  Wasting, a measure of acute malnutrition has remained practically unchanged over the last decades. According to NDHS-2001, 2006 and 2011, the wasting was estimated at 11 %, 13 % and 11 % respectively.

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When people felt owned…

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

The health management committee (HMC) members, Health Staffs and Female Health Volunteers’ (FCHVs) gathered on the premises of Dhadwar Sub-Health Post for the interaction meeting on December 6, 2012. They discussed on how the constructed toilets for the Oral Therapeutic Center (OTP) can be sustained for long and can be used regularly in future. Different ideas shared by different people. Some said the health center should request to the district authorities. Some other pessimists said no fund is available for operation and maintenance. The contrarian view came from the crowd. Why not to contribute from ourselves whatever we can? Almost 30 people were gathered there. Why not? The idea worked. Then, ...

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Nepal marked World Habitat Day 2012

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

Nepal resides 17.1 % urban population (CBS-2011), which is growing day by day in larger rate. Policy makers were guided to penetrate holistic way of thinking for people centered city during the World Habitat Day 2012. World Habitat Day has been observing globally on every first Monday of October since 1986. As every year new theme is provided from UN-Habitat, the theme for this year was selected as, “Changing Cities, Building Opportunities”.

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Concerning District Stakeholders on Silent Emergency in Nepal

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

District stakeholders of Kapilvastu and Bardiya district showed commitments for preventing deaths due to malnutrition, silent emergency with promoting health, nutrition and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) on District Stakeholders’ meeting supported from Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Project on August 21 and 23, 2012 at Kapilvastu and Bardiya districts respectively. 

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