Responding Earthquake...Experience sharing by Phurba

(Questions/Answers – by Phurba who is the live witness of Nepal Earthquake-2015 and WASH Relief/Response immediate after upto Recovery Phase (upto Jan. 2016 (Now)))

1. Where were you during the two major earthquakes of April and May?

During the first earthquake, I was in home at Kathmandu, 2nd floor. I had just completed my meal and started to take some rest on bed. During the second quake, I was at Chautara (duty station), Headquarter of Sindhupalchowk for my regular WASH response/relief works, was on the road.

2. What was your first response after the quake?

As earthquake happened, immediately I called to my office supervisor and let him knew that I am safe and with my family, then, sheltered to the safe open land for couple of days. On the third day of earthquake (i.e. on April 27, 2015), I got informed from my senior colleagues that National WASH Cluster meeting is going to happen at Singha Durbar premises (Strategic location of Nepal Government). So, I joined that meeting and shared some remarks regarding the current status of the district based on my communication with the district level colleagues. On the next day, I moved to Chautara (duty Station) with taking responsibility to coordinate/facilitate the WASH relief/responses. Immediate after reaching to Chautara, I met with the Government authority for WASH

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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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Sindhupalchowk towards District ODF

Written by: Phurba Sange Moktan

DWASHCC decided the date to declare District ODF in Sindhupalchwok during the DWASHCC Meeting/Workshop held on Sept. 11, 2014. The date decided is March 14, 2014 (Phalgun 30, 2071 BS). Representatives from Political parties, Chief District Officer, Local Development Officer, Divisional Engineer-WSSDO, District Education Officer, District Health Officer, Journalists, Facilitating NGOs/ UN-Habitat, CBOs, etc jointly signed the declaration and finalized the date to declare district ODF. “This is our shared responsibility and we should work together to achieve it on the assigned date,” LDO/DWASHCC-Chair said, “This is district’s target. So, all the district stakeholders and each individual should support the campaign.”

 

During the workshop, all the stakeholders participated actively during the entire sessions and worked out to explore challenges and ways to overcome the challenges. Direct wash-out of the sewerage to the river in most of the houses of the Araniko highway riverside, no access of public toilets, still the subsidy mindset of some VDCs etc. have found as the major challenges to overcome. The workshop decided to systematic plans to overcome such challenges on time.

Followed by the workshop, VDC secretaries from all the ODF remained VDCs interacted and worked out together to declare the final date for VDCs declaration and action plans to achieve it respectively. Similarly, Journalists have also showed their commitment/support towards district ODF. VDC level activities have been going on rapidly in all 27 ODF remained VDCs of Sindhupalchowk with the constant follow-up/ facilitation by GSF/UN-Habitat and other NGO line agencies. Till date 52 VDCs of the Sindhupalchowk have declared ODF with remaining just around 4000 latrines to be constructed/ used. And the number is decreasing day by day.

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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बजार सरसफाइ कार्यक्रम र मेरो बुझाई

By: Phurba Sange Moktan

गणतन्त्र दिबसको अवसरमा हिजो चौतरा बजार सरसफाइमय भयो। सरसफाइ कार्यक्रम बिभिन्न सरोकारवाला निकायहरुको सहकार्यमा गज्जबसग सम्पन्न गरियो। सम्पूर्णलाई बधाई!!!

यसैबिच फोहोरको थुप्रो नियल्दा मुख्यगरी गुठ्खाको खोलहरु, चक्लेटका बोक्राहरु र प्रयोग भईसकेका रिचार्ज कार्डका टुक्राहरु फेला परे, यसबाट मेरा मनमा केही जिज्ञासाहरु पलाएर आए।


पहिलो, निकट भबिष्यमा यस ठाउका मनिसहरुमा मुख र फोक्सोको अल्सर/क्यान्सरको ठुलो चुनौती आईपर्नेछ। 

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