Hat's off to Shit President: Moti Krishna

Written by: Phurba Sange Moktan

He looks elderly by appearance, but the energy he posses is not less than that of youths. With age, he has crossed more than 5 decades, but he can overtake anyone on foot. At the time people refuse to talk about shit in the village, he became shit president and he is Mr. Moti Krishna Shrestha from Thampaldhap VDC, Sindhupalchowk. He feels pleasure to the chosen one.

About a year ago, VWASHCC has been formulated in the VDC with the facilitation of the local NGO, entitled, CDECF (GSF/UN-Habitat parter) and the campaign has been initiated in the VDC. Unlikely other local leaders, he found the issue “Open Defecation” as prime concern for the village development and key to make the village clean and healhy. “Nobody wanted to take the lead for the ODF Campaign in the village. Then, I realized if we really expect change then we should take lead. And I took the lead in Thampaldhap as Shit President to clean all the open defecation habits and mindsets of the locals.” He said. 

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Success Tale - "No land, No problem for Toilet"

Written by: Phurba Sange Moktan

Ms. Balkumari Sundas, resident of Damai Tole, Ward-4, Thulopakhar Village Development Committee (VDC) of Sindhupalchowk District, Nepal has not got any problem to build toilet at her home, despite the lack of own land.

She has got triggered to defecate on latrine at her home after the formation of VDC Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Coordination Committee (VWASHCC) 9 months ago. However, the problem arose to her as she didn’t own any land nearby her home. Then, she got in dilemma. But with the constructive facilitation from VWASHCC/VDC chair in the village, her brother-in-low agreed to provide her family a piece of land to build toilet. “We used to defecate in open. To avoid shame, we used to hide on bushes. Sometimes people have seen us having defecation. Those moments were really shameful moments,” She further added, “Now we don’t need to feel that. Even environment has become clean and flies have reduced much.”

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ODF Movement in Sindhupalchowk and GSF Program: Through My Sight

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

- Sankar Tamang, aged 36, Sipapokhare-4 stopped to defecate in open and built the safe and low cost toilet and also labored to his mother’s and others in the village to construct latrines.

- Man Bahadur Pahari, aged 74, Thokarpa-3 convinced his community people for not defecating in open. This selfless efforts finally counted by declaring the VDC as ODF.

- Majhi baje, aged 99, Pangretar VDC now feels comfortable to defecate in toilet. It has become one of his daily rituals as well.

The glimpses given up are some hidden stories behind the success so far in Sindhupalchwok district. Sindhupalchowk is the district which is connected with Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, and just 80 Km away to Chautara, district headquarter, more than half population used to defecate in open just one year ago. Data from WSSDO-Sindhupalchowk says, 61.35 % of the population from Sindhupalchowk didn’t have toilet access in their houses by July, 2012 with the strong discrepancy with water supply coverage, i.e. 84.43 %. (Source: District Sanitation Strategy Plan-2013, Sindhupalchowk). After DWASHCC formed on June 2012 and GSF started to work from July 2013, the data on sanitation started to change in Sindhupalchowk. Number of coverage has reached above then 60 % in a whole in district database exceeding more than 90 % coverage in improved sanitation in first phase of 37 VDCs. The rough data says after the intervention of GSF Program in Sindhupalchwok, more than 11000 toilets have been constructed upto June end, 2013 in 37 VDCs directly. The indirect outcomes are yet to count in the district.

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Success Tale-"Nisha Sundas is now healthy and happy"

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

During the busy time of Monsoon, Nisha Sundas, aged 30, inhabitant of Thulopakhar VDC and her family was busy to build the toilet nearby of her house. “Some triggerers came to my house and showed me how we are having our and neighbours’ faeces,” She said with shyness in her face, “Which convinced me and my family to build latrine.” If it is seen in deep, it was not very easy to build the latrine to the lady like her with two children to feed by herself and fractured leg since three months, not able to bear the treatment cost. According to her, her husband is laboring in Kathmandu but not supporting the family.

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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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