WatSan Case Study
Union Porishod as an Activist of Sustainable WatSan Activity
Sanitation is an ongoing process. Sanitation is interlinked with our life such a way that we have to go through this way till we live. Just by being little bit conscious about some hygienic behavior we can easily keep away various diseases linked with water and feases. 80% diseases related to water and feases could easily be removed simply by taking attention about using safe water and sanitation.
100% latrine coverage has been ensured within nine months as VERC started its activities in Daldali union, Bholahat upazila under Chapainawabganj district from February 2005. Through active participation of local government (union parishod), community people and educational institutions 100% latrine coverage has come to a successful end. Now local government institution thinks that they didn’t complete their deed only by covering latrines in that area. To sustain the success and sound environment community people needs to practice the hygiene behavior. There are six community volunteers from project in that area to ignite the people of nine wards but to assist the ignition activities more efficiently and successfully local government appointed three more community volunteers by using their own fund. They think it will take long time to change behavior of community people to habituate on the watsan issues. It is also difficult to supervise the project activities in various wards by one volunteer. Considering this crisis situation union porishod took an initiative to appoint three community volunteers for the ward of 9, 4 and 2 of Fainur, Marina and Farida.
They got to know that 31st March 2009 the ASEH project activities will be ended then they took initiative to continue the activities by issuing VGD card to eight more persons of the union who will be responsible to continue the activites. From January 2009 the eight volunteer will get 30 kg rice each month till December 2010. They also issued another VGD card to a CV for six months. From union porishod they hanged two sign boards in their union about the issue of 100% latrine coverage. By utilizing the sharing-money of water point they had prepared 107 sets of latrine equipments where union porishod added more 20% ADP money for preparing further 45 sets of latrine equipments. For installing latrines as offset latrines they have been providing five rings and one slub along with bend pipe, delivery pipe, gas pipe. This material has been distributing among the ultra poor as per prepared list. A team also formed for monitoring the quality of material produced.
They are hopeful enough about sustainability of the sanitation activity and greeted every where for such a special initiative.