SLTS workshop in Chitwan
To boost up the Sanitation Model District (SMD) initiative, Environmental Sanitation Section (ESS) of the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS) and WHO organized a one-day workshop on 26th August 2008 in Chitwan district in coordination with Water Supply and Sanitation Division Office (WSSDO). Some 60 participants from 20 schools comprising headmaster, teachers, members of school management committee, parent teacher association and child clubs; and women groups shared their experiences/achievements concerning School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) interventions made in the past. Among them some 10 schools found to have declared their school’s partial catchments free from open defecation through SLTS approach in different dates and Shree Primary School Belhatta declared its whole catchments (78 households) in partnership with local level stakeholders. In the workshop, the participants from all schools made firm commitments to achieve the universal toilet coverage in their school’s catchments in the days ahead. And they developed their school/community level Plan of Action accordingly. During the discussion the participants had suggested to organize similar interaction programs from time to time, provision support for the poor for toilet construction, strengthen local level monitoring/facilitation and reward the individual/school. The workshop provided a platform where participants got opportunity to learn and share ideas for future endeavors.
On the day, Mr. Han Heijnen, Environmental Health Advisor of WHO delivered his remarks as the chief guest of the program. He added that local effort is most sustainable solution to any development endeavors including sanitation. Mr. Khom Bahadur Subedi, chief of ESS/DWSS and Mr. Hari Krishna Paudel chief of WSSDO Chitwan shade light on importance of school and community partnership for total sanitation. Mr. Nam Raj Khatri, National Professional Officer of WHO emphasized on 5 key elements of SLTS: i) child club mobilization, ii) development of social map, iii) formulation of school level plan of action, iv) declaration of open defecation free situation and iv) self-monitoring. Mr. Madan Kumar Malla, SMD coordinator, Mr. Kamal Adhikari, sociologist of ESS/DWSS and desk secretary of the IYS-2008 Nepal Desk, Mr. Bipin Poudel, Project Assistant of the Desk and Mr. Kul Prasad Lamichhane had facilitated the workshop process. The chief guest and other personalities had distributed the letters of recognition and certificates to the schools for their contribution to sanitation promotion.
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