I felt the same restlessness in my heart. The anticipation of what I might witness in the coming moments. I was headed to North Tarawa. I remembered the first time I set foot on this Island – about two hours travel by boat from South Tarawa, plus-minus, subject to the tide and the mercy of the free-spirited waters. That was a different time- only a few months ago I would say. That was the beginning of the story…

North Tarawa had roughly a population of 5,000 people (as of 2014). It was selected by the “Kiriwatsan I” project as the model island due to its close proximity to South Tarawa, the capital of the country of Kiribati (Ki ri baas) that consists of 33 islands scattered across 5 million square km of the Pacific Ocean, with an estimated population of 110,000 living in 20 low-lying coral atolls and islands (2009 statistics). The islands are clustered into three groups: the Gilbert (with 90% of the population), Line and Phoenix. Most islands are usually not more than 2 km wide and less than 6 meters above sea level. The capital is South Tarawa where about 44% of the total population resides (density is over 2500 people/sq.km). About 38% of the total population is under 15 years. In total 47% of the population is under the age of 18 years. The growth rate is about 2% (2014).

South Tarawa houses most Ministries (except for the Line and the Phoenix Islands), the Field Office of UNICEF and other UN agencies, the Diplomatic missions and major non-profit organizations. The “Kiriwatsan I” – Water and Sanitation in the Outer Island of the Republic of Kiribati had the mandate to at least engage in 70 villages in 16 outer islands of the Gilbert Group to improve the quality of their lives. The implementing partners were the key Ministries that included Public works and Utilities, Health, Education, Internal Affairs, as well as the office of the President, Mayors, Island Councils, Council of Churches, village leaders, community organizations and the villagers. The training team was formulated by field workers from these Ministries and islanders from various walks of life. The development cooperation partners and other UN agencies played the roles of catalysts as the main driving force came from the islanders themselves propelled by their zeal to make a difference in their lives. European Union (EU) sponsored the project and UNICEF-Kiribati provided technical assistance. The project life was from 2 June 2011 to 6^th April 2014 but extended up to 6 April 2016.

The initial overall condition of the 13 villages in North Tarawa (the selected model island) indicated that approximately 64% of the population was practising open defecation. In 2013, with the full endorsement of the islanders and their “Unimanee” or the elders/leaders, these villages adopted the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach that was introduced through the trained implementing teams of the “Kiriwatsan I Project.” They began working with communities, Government and other partners to make the island open defecation free (ODF).

The island loomed ahead, the emerald green of the coconut and hibiscus plants sparkled against the waters in the background. We stepped on to the bright sands. The boat was anchored on the bubbling waves. The village elders and volunteers were waiting to greet us with garlands and smiles, laced with pride. Coconut water was flowing like a gurgling fountain, sweet and cold to beat the heat of the dawn just arisen a few hours ago.

We came to witness a great event that happened with efforts from the islanders- children, women and men. After only less than three months of engaging the communities, the villages achieved the ODF environment. We came with a huge team to celebrate. With flowers, music, food, dancing and prayers we celebrated for the entire day with the Islanders. High-level Government officials, the diplomatic missions, UNICEF, the “Unemanee” and the communities on 13^th May 2013 officially declared the Island of North Tarawa as open defecation free!

Improved hygiene behaviour of the communities was confirmed through stringent monitoring that projected reports of fewer incidences of diarrhoea in local clinics as compared to the previous months. The use of low-cost, culturally accepted indigenous sanitary toilets built by the communities made this outcome possible. The beach once polluted with faeces and flies was clean. We were informed that the village elders had also imposed a system of $5 as fine for violators, which were accepted by all inhabitants. The community of 1002 households was vigilant to protect their well-being and put Kiribati on the world map of proudly becoming the first country in the entire South Pacific region that could boast of one of its islands (North Tarawa) as open defecation free.

It was a different North Tarawa. A few months ago, when I had visited this island for the first time I was burdened by some unsightly spectacles- defecation spewed on the sand sporadically and floated in the water near the beach. Swarms of flies gleefully declared the presence of human waste. The village volunteers and health workers who accompanied me on that field mission were thoroughly embarrassed and tried to divert my attention to other things. Later in our meeting with villagers, one thing came out strongly as we dialogued- the need to contain faeces to avoid diarrhoea, other faecal-borne diseases and for aesthetic reasons. Girls told us their stories of shame and misery of defecating out in the open beach. There were no bushes or shelter that could offer any modesty. The indignity in responding to a basic need was too heavy a price to pay daily. That’s when they decided they have to be in command to change the existing situation.

Nuzhat Shahzadi was the Chief of Field Office and United Nations Joint Presence, Kiribati, UNICEF-Pacific from 2011 to 2015

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Challenges for a District Magistrate increase when there exists a dichotomy in policies and the ground reality. It gets even tougher when one decides to overlook set rules to achieve sustainable results. I went through a comparable situation while implementing Sanitation Scheme in Cooch Behar which happens to be one of the backward districts of West Bengal, India. First thing I realized was that poor sanitation is not an individual issue but a collective community behavioural syndrome. Subsidizing toilets did not seem a solution in this situation but facilitating communities for building and using toilets on a mass scale could create a ripple. Once the community was triggered, it was no more interested in individual benefits but demanded community incentives for the betterment of their villages.

 Ironically, the sanitation policy neither focusses on collective behavioural change or community incentive. Consequently, I had to face a tough challenge while planning sustainable Open Defecation Free communities in the district. I decided to follow the right principles of Community mobilization for achieving sustainable ODF without giving much importance to policy issues.

Initiating my drive from the grass root, at the grass root, for the grass root was my motto. I travelled to nooks and corners of the district tagging my entire fleet of local officers, designed area-wise campaigns and programs to trigger the communities. Surprisingly, the poorest and illiterate were the first to embrace the concept and nodded to build their own toilets thereby changing the collective behaviour of the villagers. Though initially villagers were given subsidies to build a toilet, later the community took over and converted it to a larger public movement against Open Defecation. The youth, women, self-help groups, teachers, doctors, local political leaders, banks stepped forward to assist communities to attain open defecation free status. Sanitary marts turned into suppliers from builders of toilets.

With several welfare schemes Fund under my disposal, I made provision for diverting it to ODF villages for providing them community incentives in the form of rural roads, water supply, health centres, schools, street lights etc. I also converted the individual subsidy under sanitation fund into a community incentive by convincing the department. It acted as a reward for the villagers’ efforts and reaffirmed their resolve to upkeep the ODF status. Today, Cooch Behar is a proud Open Defecation Free district, conceived and owned by the people of the district.

Myths and Realities:

Myth:    Poor people need financial support to build their toilet

Reality: Poor people are the first to spend their resources for sanitation

Myth:   Training of volunteers and Triggering of community will lead to community mobilization

Reality: Training and triggering are just the beginning. Working closely with the community and rigorously following them can only lead to community mobilization towards sustainable ODF.

Myth:   People prefer individual benefit.

Reality: Villagers are not interested in individual benefit, it is only the community incentive matters for sanitation.

Glimpses of his achievements in Murshidabad

The post A bureaucrat’s efforts towards Swacch Bharat by using CLTS as a weapon appeared first on CLTS Foundation Global.

Dr. Geetha during one of her visits in a district in Chhattisgarh. Photo courtesy

In an interview to Dr. Kamal Kar and Amit Sengupta, the Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission, Chhattisgarh, Dr. M. Geetha talks on how her state is on a mission mode and creating a trailblazer effect on tackling open defecation by creating an enabling environment in the state.

Amit Sengupta: As the Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission, Chhattisgarh, do you see the progress of SBM in your state?

Dr. M. Geetha: We began the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state on 2^nd October 2014 and at that time there were only 20 open defecation free villages throughout the state. Today, as we talk, there are 1644 ODF villages in the state. We don’t give upfront incentives to the households for construction of toilets. There is flexibility in the policy and often it is upto the Village Water and Sanitation Committee to decide. We are working on this approach to tackle the problem of open defecation.

We have made tremendous progress in the last almost one and a half years. We feel confident that we have followed a pattern. We have to understand that the communities are not homogeneous mix. They are a heterogeneous group of people of different caste, creed and ethnicity. Often, different dynamics play a crucial factor while dealing with the communities. We have to be aware of those dynamics.

Amit Sengupta: Recently, some new ODF Blocks has made headlines…

Dr. M. Geetha: Yes. Tow ODF Blocks – Ambagarh Chowki and Churya in the district of Rajnandgaon have been declared as open defecation free. We have not just focused on rural sanitation in these two blocks. We have moved towards and incorporated urban sanitation as well. The efforts take a lot of time and we just cannot jump from one stage to the other since we have to follow a pattern.

Geetha with other members of a local Self Help Group in Chhattisgarh. Photo: Kamal Kar/CLTS Foundation Global

When communities come together it unites them towards a common goal and vision. It binds them for a common cause and they are able to see the benefits of working towards that common goal. During those exercises and community participation and triggering, natural leaders emerge and lead from the frontlines of the grassroot movement. Bringing the community together ensures the sustainability of the project and sustainability of the open defecation free status.

Dr. Kamal Kar: But open defecation still exists and women are the worst victims?

Dr. M. Geetha: We also insist that, to ensure this behavioral change, while the state has suggested that while we could give some incentives to families and communities. The state of Chhattisgarh has focused on the communities rather than the individuals. As a result its not family, but a set of families in the Gram, village or in the Panchayats, which are important. Even the incentives, it comes later. Once the community achieved the status, the money that comes in, which we call as incentive, is then utilized for a community purpose.

Dr. Kamal Kar: So the efficiency of utilization goes many times more?

Dr. M. Geetha: Absolutely, and it is also about, the neighbors supporting the people who are not well of.

Dr. Kamal Kar: So you meant to say – total solidarity?

Dr. M. Geetha: Absolutely. I think it is the solidarity that is being built through the communities, and mission is able to achieve that once the community is triggered and brought to the notion that, sanitation and safe sanitation is towards better life.

Amit Sengupta: As the mission director of Swachh Bharat Mission how do you ensure the monitoring of the project?

Dr. M. Geetha: We have a robust monitoring system in place. There are three Consultants who report to me. Each of these 3 Consultants have a responsibility to manage 9 districts. They arrange for at least one visit to each of these districts every month. We have weekly follow up and review meetings at the district level. We get the District Collectors for the review meeting through online and video conferencing.

I also travel regularly and in particular divisions for three-four days at a stretch. As part of these regular monitoring visits, a lot of mid-course corrective measures follow. It’s a continuous process. Reviewing and follow-up are ensured to keep track of the SBM.

We also use technology to ensure monitoring and keeping track of progress real time. We have created several WhatsApp Group (there are 3 WhatsApp group – one for the District Collectors, second for the Zilla Parishads and third for the NGO partners and their staffs) for continuous engagement. We are also on Facebook and Twitter. I reply to every query before I go to bed.

Geetha interacting with the community in one of the districts in Chhattisgarh. Photo courtesy

Amit Sengupta: What do you think are the advantages of the community-led total sanitation approach that your state is implementing?

Dr. M. Geetha: As I was talking about the monitoring and constant interaction with the machinery, we want to engage the community. It’s not easy to break long existing taboos. We have experienced that sustainability becomes questionable when the community is not involved. Once they are onboard, they take ownership of the process and it becomes easier for us to sustain the status of an ODF village or unit.

It’s all about building and empowering the community. We are more hopeful now.

Amit Sengupta: I remember, in one of the sessions chaired by Dr. Kamal Kar at SACOSAN VI Conference, Dhaka you mentioned about the problem of dysfunctional toilets. How do you plan to tackle that?

Dr. M. Geetha: Dysfunctional toilets are not just a problem of Chhattisgarh. They are there in every state. There may be difficulties as we go ahead but we have got to move ahead. We continue to support our panchayats in tackling this problem. We have told them that they can try and get funds allocated under the 14^th Finance Commission to identify and support people of economically weaker sections to rebuild or repair their toilets.

The district of Rajnandgaon has taken their own initiatives in improving their dysfunctional toilets. Surguja district has declared their two blocks as ODF. Bilaspur district is showing tremendous progress as well. So, overall we are improving the status of lack of toilets and sanitation.

Interacting with villagers during a monitoring visit. Photo courtesy.

Dr. Kamal Kar: Geetha, Chhattisgarh has got 27 districts. Do you think that in the next couple of years with the great innovative action, I mean the kind of initiative that you have started, do you think that in next the 1 and 1 ½ years, this state would become one of the leading state in terms of showing this as an example for the whole country by achieving, very close to 100% ODF status?

Dr. M. Geetha: We are very optimistic. We feel that, instead of talking about individuals, and perhaps talking only of certain villages or certain blocks or certain districts, we are talking about the state as a whole. We are trying to trigger communities and we are going through all the methods possible, to achieve, you know community empowerment. We have provided some flexibility to the districts, to have their own strategies and the state has taken a pledge that it will follow the Community-Led-Total-Sanitation method. Once the state has pledged towards this then the districts are aware of it and we are all working towards this goal.

The state has also taken a stand that we should work towards empowering communities completely towards ODF by December 2018 as an outcome, and we shall work towards Dec 2018 and not wait for 2019, and work towards that through the communities.

Amit Sengupta: Which District do you think will attain the status of the first ODF District in Chhattisgarh?

Dr. M. Geetha: We are on a mission mode and attain the status as fast as possible. We have to ensure the coverage of sanitation from one village to another. We have not hired ‘motivators’ but what we are sending is a particular team of ‘CLTS practitioners’. These teams also monitor whether there is a follow-up after triggering in the community or not.

I think the district of Mungeli will attain the status of the first ODF District in Chhattisgarh. The district has launched a campaign called ‘Sankalp Swachh Mungeli’. It’s a district of 3 Blocks and 375 GPs and hopefully it will show the pathway to similar other districts in the next two-three years.

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CLTS (Community-led Total Sanitation) was introduced in Zambia in 2007 when UNICEF together  with the Government of Zambia decided to pilot the approach in Choma district in the country’s Southern province.The pilot began in November 2007 with a ‘hands-on’ training workshop facilitated by Dr Kamal Kar. The workshop was attended by senior government officials, NGOs and the donor community. During the training, participants triggered 12 pilot villages. However, Dr Kar regretted that the traditional leaders were not present at the workshop. So, when he saw His Royal Highness Chief Macha in a local restaurant having breakfast, he seized the opportunity to get the chief interested in the workshop and invited him to the last day of the workshop.Later, through Chief Macha’s efforts, the chiefdom doubled the sanitation coverage from 50% to 100% in less than two years, thus attaining ODF status in November 2009, and becoming the first chiefdom in Zambia to be so recognized.

Recently, Chief Macha was invited to share his experiences at a high-level advocacy workshop in Nairobi to institutionalize CLTS in Somalia (click here to read about the workshop). After the workshop, we took a brief interview of Chief Macha to know more about his experiences with implementing CLTS.

Please tell us about your orientation into CLTS? What were the first few things that you did?

I was exposed to the CLTS approach at a workshop facilitated by Kamal Kar in November 2007 in Choma district. I was triggered by the presentations made by people from the pilot villages and I immediately had a meeting with Kamal Kar. As soon as I went back to my chiefdom, I met senior headmen, senior villagers, headmen, and Environment Health Department technicians. We had sat down and said “Here’s an opportunity. What should we do as a chiefdom?”
I involved the national training team and we started training people in the chiefdom and involved all the important stakeholders. I made sure things went well in my chiefdom. In 2009, my chiefdom became open defecation free (ODF).
I received an award from AMCOW (African Ministers’ Council on Water) in Johannesburg for this achievement and I was also named ‘UNICEF Zambia Supporter for Sanitation’ for my contributions to the success of CLTS.

What is the potential of CLTS to achieve an ODF Zambia?

From my experience with CLTS I can say it’s a very good investment. If a community is ODF then there are knock-on health benefits and people can invest the money saved on medical bills into their children’s education. I feel Zambia has benefitted a lot from this approach and right now I’m trying to replicate my success in other chiefdoms.

Why do you think other chiefdoms are lagging behind? 

I admit that there are gaps in implementing CLTS but we are now working together – ODF chiefdoms and other chiefdoms. We are targeting an ODF Zambia by 2020.

What do think are the major challenges?

Some challenges are water supply, well-trained human capital and funding.

What has been your experience in this workshop?

It was a good workshop. My advice to the Somalian delegation would be to forget the conflict and work together. They should seek advice and consult other countries. However, given the current situation I admit it will take time.

What are your future plans after Choma becomes ODF?

After Choma becomes ODF, I will start working in other districts. I will work towards an ODF Zambia.

Date: September 25, 2015

Interview taken at Nairobi by Preetha Prabhakaran, Programme Manager-Knowledge Management and Partnerships, CLTS Foundation Global

The post ‘Zambia has benefitted a lot from CLTS approach’ appeared first on CLTS Foundation Global.

CARE Bangladesh’s Director, Extreme Rural Poverty Programme, Anowarul Haq opens up to Amit Sengupta on how community-led total sanitation approach paved a critical pathway in creating an open defecation free community in their project area.

Mr. Anowarul Haq, Director, Extreme Rural Poverty Program, Care, Bangladesh speaking at ‘Beyond Just Toilets’ conclave at Dhaka on 10 January, 2016. Photo: CLTS Foundation Global

CLTS Foundation Global: Could you please tell us, in brief, about your NGO background and your first orientation about community led total sanitation approach? 

I am presently leading CARE Bangladesh’s Extreme Rural Poverty Programme as Director. I have more than 15 years work experiences in development field with 13 years experience in senior management. I led Social and Economic Transformation of the Ultra-Poor (SETU), a DFID-Government of Bangladesh funded and shiree managed flagship project of CARE Bangladesh that is working with the bottom 10% extremely poor in the northwest of Bangladesh.

With CARE Bangladesh’ Social Development Unit, I have gained vast experience in leading numerous research activities that explored underlying causes of poverty and informed CARE Bangladesh’s programming. I managed the Nijeder Janyia Nijera initiative, a pilot project of CARE Bangladesh, where CLTS was used as an entry point for triggering community led total development. My principle area of interest is to develop a model of effective programming for graduating the extremely poor out of poverty. I am experienced on community led methods through which communities can abolish open defection, seasonal hunger, enhance food security, improve the livelihoods of the poorest and institutionalize this work in local government.

Before joining CARE, I worked in PROSHIKA’s Institute for Development Policy Analysis and Advocacy (IDPAA) and in a leading Bangla newspaper `The Daily Bhorer Kagoj’.

My first exposure to CLTS was through Kamal Kar when he came to evaluate Rural Livelihood Programme of CARE Bangladesh in 2003 – 2004. He inspired us to build collective solidarity through CLTS process and then facilitate a reflective participatory process within the community to enhance livelihood security and trigger empowerment of poorest women and men rather than promoting a pre-defined approach. The work then influenced CARE Bangladesh’s community empowerment approach.

CLTS Foundation Global: Talking about the sanitation scenario in your country, what was the status of open defecation in the region where Care Bangladesh was working?

So far as I could remember, around only 20% households were using latrines and almost 100% communities were practicing open defecation when we adopted CLTS as an approach.

CLTS Foundation Global: How was CARE’s project designed using CLTS approach to tackle open defecation? Where in Bangladesh was the project implemented?

A triggering session

CARE first adopted CLTS approach in the haor region of Bangladesh. With the assistance of Kamal Kar, CARE worked in Bajitpur Upazila in Kishorgonj district aiming for open defecation free communities. The first ODF Union in the haor region was facilitated by CARE Bangladesh which was unbelievable to many development actors as the regional context was very different from the main land.

Later in 2004 in Nijeder Janyia Nijera Project CARE used CLTS as an entry point to build collective solidarity within the poorest communities and developed leadership from the poorest for accessing services and entitlements from local government and nation building departments. In the project, CLTS and community led approach was institutionalised within local government. CARE Bangladesh is using this process in all the livelihoods projects later on.

Community led total sanitation campaign

CLTS Foundation Global: How did the community react when you started talking about the ‘Community Approaches to Total Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion’?

The response was very positive, inspiring and transformational.

CLTS was proven to be a powerful entry point to initiate a solidarity building process. Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was considered as an activity that engages the entire community in sanitation work and can benefit a large number of households. CLTS is very effective as an entry point to initiate an empowerment process, because it is, a) non-political and relatively class neutral; b) easy to accomplish; c) brings considerable benefit to a community – a visibly cleaner hamlet – in a relatively short period of time; d) develops collaboration and community effort; and e) instills a sense of collective accomplishment and pride. Total sanitation – open defecation free communities and hygienic practices – considerably reduces the incidence of cholera, dysentery, and diarrhoea, enabling communities to save precious and scarce household resources, leading to relatively quick and lasting economic returns. Further, at the core of CLTS lies collective action that leads to new forms of public engagement. The approach can create a platform, so to speak, to build solidarity, encourage forms of collective action, and ultimately engage communities in development processes that lead to broader social change.

CLTS contributes to important changes in the overall hamlet environment. Generally, the village atmosphere is anti-poor, with elites and the better off marginalizing the poorest households during social events and important decision making processes. There is little belief that the poorest can meaningfully contribute to any activity, let alone the development process and the transformation of local society. This attitude has resulted in a general despondency amongst the poorest households, who feel unwelcome, disrespected, and isolated. CLTS has the potential to break this cycle, as the poorest households participate in taking the lead on sanitation work and gain respect and social standing for their efforts and hard work within and beyond the community. CARE projects build collective solidarity through the CLTS process and uses the momentum to initiate a total development approach that addresses not only livelihoods issues of the poor and extremely poor, but also reduces forms of exploitation, e.g. sub-standard wages and money lending, and discrimination based on gender and class differences, and local governance.

A mass gathering with the community

CLTS Foundation Global: What challenges did you face in the community or at a structural level when you started working on that project?

We faced three major challenges in facilitating sustainable changes through CLTS – subsidy-no subsidy contradiction, lack of quality process facilitation and hunger.

When we started CLTS process, we found that many other sanitation projects by different donors and different institutions were providing subsidy for the construction of latrines. We had to coordinate with everyone and had to demonstrate what is possible through CLTS to convince them. We worked with Union Parishads to ensure that communities would decide who need subsidy and subsidy will be provided only when communities will ensure that the whole area will be ODF.

We also discovered that there was a huge pressure to local government to declare unions as 100% sanitized. For this, development partners sometimes compromised the quality of facilitation, which later on became a challenge as many households believed that local government will provide subsidy to repair their latrines. We made it clear to our field teams that process of CLTS should be followed and there should be no rush to declare ODF until it happens organically.

We also learnt that extreme form of poverty, such as, hunger should be addressed simultaneously. Households would not repair their low cost structures of toilet after each monsoon season if they are hungry in the lean period. In CARE, we integrated livelihoods and inclusive local governance with CLTS, so that hunger and other extreme forms of extreme poverty are addressed, so that people can create peer pressure to repair latrines when requires.

Working with women natural leaders

CLTS Foundation Global: Did it involve capacity building of government functionaries? Were they tuned to the CLTS approach?

As mentioned before, yes, we integrated CLTS with inclusive local governance processes. It worked very well. In fact, because of this, Bangladesh has been able to quickly scale up CLTS to become almost 100% ODF. Community led approach of CLTS and scaling up by local government are the two key milestones for the success of Bangladesh.

CLTS Foundation Global: As part of the project, did you have to work on identifying Natural Leaders and CLTS Champions from the community. How was that useful in implementation of the project?

Yes, facilitating the emergence of natural leaders and CLTS champions from the communities and also from the local government has been a conscious strategy. We used community-to-community learning process successfully in our projects. Champions have shown others how to do it and have brought local solutions to local problems, which may not be possible for any external organizations to work out.

Recognition of natural leaders and local government representatives as champions and then using them to demonstrate possibilities as a strategy has been very successful.

CLTS Foundation Global: Your project also included working with schools and children. Could you please tell us something about the SLTS approach? How were the children engaged?

We also engaged with the SLTS approach. What we have seen is that children play a very effective role to change the mindset of communities and parents for achieving and sustaining open defecation free status. They have shown their potentials. More importantly, as children are aware of CLTS and benefits of ODF, there is more chance of longer-term sustainability as they are the future leaders of Bangladesh. Also, this is helping to develop future community leaders.

Mr. Anowarul Haq, Director, Extreme Rural Poverty Program, Care, Bangladesh speaking at ‘Beyond Just Toilets’ conclave at Dhaka on 10 January, 2016. Photo: CLTS Foundation Global

CLTS Foundation Global: Were there any other crucial hurdles or obstacles while implementation of the project?

The crucial hurdle for any organization is to change the mindset of their own staff. CLTS is about believing that communities can resolve the most difficult puzzles by themselves if they believe in themselves and we also believe the power of empowerment. Communities can clean their own shits, but it is not easy to clean the shits that has been created by different organizations. The good thing about CARE Bangladesh is that it has adopted community led approach as the core of all activities and has always attempted to empower communities, where CLTS has shown a critical pathway of how to do it.

CLTS Foundation Global: When you look back at the project, how do you evaluate the outcome of reaching out to 100,000 ODF communities?

In the initial stage, it was not possible for many of us to understand the potential of CLTS. It unfolded one after another. The first achievement was to declare a community as ODF. Then a ward within a union is declared as ODF. Then a whole union became ODF, then an Upazilla and then a district. Finally now the whole country has almost become ODF. This may look like a miracle, but we have done it. CLTS is a breakthrough. The Government should also be acknowledged for creating enabling environment, so also the private sector for providing low cost sanitation materials to the poorer communities at an affordable price.

The post Interview: CLTS Champion, Bangladesh appeared first on CLTS Foundation Global.

In this interview with Kamal Adhikari, Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS), Government of Nepal, AmitSengupta finds out how community led total sanitation approach played a crucial role in sparking a social movement on sanitation in Nepal.

Excerpts from the interview:

CLTS Foundation Global: Could you please tell us, in brief, about your background and your first orientation about community led total sanitation approach?

I am from a rural community of Dang district in Nepal. I hold Master’s Degree in Anthropology and Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and Law. Since 1999, I have been working as a Sociologist with the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage(DWSS) of the Government of Nepal and contributing to formulate national polices, plans and guidelines on sanitation and hygiene including School Led Total Sanitation(SLTS) Program 2006, Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan 2011andTotal Sanitation Guidelines 2015.I have widely served for strengthening the sector capacity, scaling up strategic planning and localization of the Master Plan.I have produced more than two dozens of research and study papers on sectoral issues, received national and international trainings and presented papers in national, regional and global forums. I became familiar with Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach widely discussed during the first SACOSAN held in Bangladesh in 2003.

CLTS Foundation Global: Could you briefly take us through the sanitation scenario in Nepal in the past 10 years and its status now?

Stakeholders’ perception towards sanitation changed drastically in Nepal after introduction of the community and school led total sanitation approaches. The Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign strongly grounded the issues of health and dignity in the domain of sanitation and hygiene and created a very amiable environment to nurture and institutionalize sanitation as the cross-cutting theme of development.Now, the ODF has become a central theme in country’s national development framework.The national sanitation coverage has increased significantly from some 40 % in 2005to 81 % by 2015. So far, 1 zone, 33 districts, 83 Municipalities and 2081VDCshave been declared as ODF areas against the national target of universal sanitation coverage by 2017. ODF declaration has been evolving as the socio-cultural festival in local communities. The country is marching ahead for total sanitation initiativeso as to sustain the ODF status and achieve the state of Clean Nepal.

CLTS Foundation Global: You have been applying the fundamental spirit of triggering–the heart of the CLTS approach–in formulating and executing the School Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) approach, Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan 2011 and Total Sanitation Guidelines 2015 of the Government of Nepal. Could you elaborate on this please?

It is crystal clear thatinnovative triggering process introduced through the CLTS approach has brought about revolutionary changes in thinking and action in sanitation across the globe. The DWSS and UNICEF Nepal introduced the innovative concept of SLTS program approach in Nepalby including the ‘principle of CLTS triggering’ and multi-sector stakeholders’ collaboration mechanism institutionalized by the School Sanitation and Hygiene Program 2000. The SLTS approach widely popularized appreciative techniques like reward and recognition, strengthened school and community partnership and catalyzed students to work as the change agent for achieving ODF status in school’s catchments. The Government of Nepal formulated the Master Plan on Sanitation and Hygiene in 2011 adopting triggering approach of CLTS, institutionalizing multi-stakeholders’ collaboration promoted through SLTS and integrating other innovative sectoral learning. Likewise, the Total Sanitation Guideline has widen the scope of sanitation leading to sustained environment, improved health condition, better livelihood and productive life.

CLTS Foundation Global: How and when did you introduce the philosophy, principles, themes and frameworks of the ‘sector triggering’ based on good learning from CLTS and SLTS approaches?

Nepal’s capacity development model in sanitation changed remarkably from ‘knowledge building enterprises’ to ‘triggering’ through CLTS and SLTS approaches. The concept of CLTS triggeringwhich focuses mainly on ‘triggering of communities’ got new dimension in Nepal along with enforcement of the Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan 2011. Based on learning from CLTS, SLTS, SULABH Sanitation Movement and Comprehensive and Accelerated Sanitation and Hygiene Sanitation initiative of Nepal,  I introduced in 2010 the philosophy, principles, themes and frameworks of ‘sector triggering’approach (triggering of different development sector stakeholders)that gives due focus on broad based alliance, wider sectoral linkages, comprehensive planning, effective community mobilization, massive resource pooling arrangements and wider political mobilization for the scaling up of sanitation in an accelerated manner.Sector triggering approach is adoptednationwide.I have widely applied this approach while orienting law-makers, senior political leaders and stakeholdersabout sanitation in national and sub-national levels.

CLTS Foundation Global: What has been happening in sanitation sector in Nepal as far as innovations are concerned?

Nepal’s sanitation movement is characterized uniquely.Institutionalization of sanitation and hygiene as the cross-cutting theme of development, introduction of sector triggering approach, promotion of reward and recognition, scaling up of sanitation as social movement, promotion of sanitation model district initiative and emergence of ODF and total sanitation as the development ladder(e.g. declaration of indoor smoke free households, total literate communities, etc.) are some innovations.  Importantly, the Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan 2011 has became a strong instrument to generate synergy from multi-sector stakeholders’coordination mechanisms and maintain uniformity and standard in sanitation and hygiene interventionsthrough enforcement of the guiding principles. Importantly, the sanitation conferencehas strongly vibrated ‘policy makers, planners and people’, powerfully triggered ‘mass action’ and visibly ‘accelerated ODF campaign’ along with the creative engagement of school and communities.Linkage of sanitation and hygiene with nutrition, education, health, environment and livelihood has given new dimension.

CLTS Foundation Global: What are the different actors doing to reduce open defecation involving the community?

The Master Plan on Sanitation and Hygiene 2011 has promoted government’s leadership, stakeholders’ partnership, private sector engagement and community’s ownership for sanitation and hygiene promotion. Proactive engagement of politicians, policy makers, planners, private sector actors, professionals and people in ODF and total sanitation initiatives and adoption of sanitation for all (as a dream) and all for sanitation (as a strategy) justifies that Nepal’s sanitation movement is inclusive and dynamic. Participation of the president, vice president, prime minister, law-makers, senior government officials and national artists in ODF declaration ceremony has heightened theimage of sanitation. Institutionalization of sanitation as fundamental right in the Constitution of Nepal 2015, formulation of Sanitation MDG Acceleration Framework 2013 by National Planning Commission, integration of ODF as a keybusiness in sectoral development and execution of school and community level plan of action on sanitation has unified various segments of society for improved sanitation.

CLTS Foundation Global: How does the process of institutional triggering happen in Nepal? Is the government of Nepal aware of the challenges and how is it overcoming the hurdles?

Of course, ‘institutional triggering’ (i.e. sector triggering) takes place in Nepal through interactive and participatory process: a) mass gathering b) performance review meetingc) planning workshop and d) national and sub-national level sanitation conferences. During such events, burning issues on sanitation and hygiene are identified, local level opportunities are assessed, roles, responsibility and accountability of various sector stakeholders are identified, target of ODF and total sanitation are set and a joint declaration is signed to achieve the target. The powerful and thought provoking triggering is done to stimulatethose wide ranges of stakeholders.

The Government of Nepal is fully committed to addressing GESI issues and ensuring national sanitation goal by minimizing external dependency and maximizing local resources and capacity. For this, the national and sub-national level steering and coordination committees have led to strengthen stakeholders’ collaborationand launch sanitation conferences for mass actionto bring visible impact in community sanitation.

CLTS Foundation Global: How did the CLTS approach help in creating a sanitation movement in your country?

In Nepal, community triggering has produced a small spark while sector triggering has refueled so many sparksacross the country and illuminated the wider areas through multi stakeholders’ collaboration. So, these two powerful currents generated from communities and sectoral levels are unified undergovernment led district, municipality and VDC level strategic planning frameworks to accelerate ODF and total sanitation initiatives. Application of CLTS triggering tools and locally generated innovative community empowerment and sensitization tools have had profound implications in establishing pro-sanitation values and triggering local people towards breaking the route of faecal oral contamination through collective community actions. Triggering–the heart of CLTS approach–has thus played instrumental role in Nepal’s sanitation movement.

CLTS Foundation Global: Did you have to work on identifying Natural Leaders and CLTS Champions from the community? How was that useful in implementation of the projects?

Nepal’s ongoing sanitation movement has rapidly increased ODF and sanitation coverage and promoted several innovations. ODF and total sanitation condition have become the new norms in sanitation which have empowered and instigated several individuals to work for sanitation. For example, some teachers, women leader, students, media people, VDC secretaries, Local Development Officers and other government officials have spontaneously emerged as the sanitation champions and taken a lead to positively influence sanitation initiatives through community actions and sectoral development process. Those committed individuals are indeed the real movers and shakers of sanitation who are engaged in generating local level resources, formulating code of conducts, lending support hands for physically challenged people for toilet construction, conducting self-monitoring, telling success stories of improved sanitation and hygiene, persuading communities and propelling sanitation movement using innovative and creative ideas, methods, tools and tricks.

CLTS Foundation Global: You have mentioned about your book on sanitation – ‘Sanitation in Nepal: Past, Present and Future’. What is it about?

I published my book on sanitation in 2012 and its second edition in 2015 to document the precious learning of the sanitation and hygiene sector in Nepal. This book is a reflection of my subtle visualization and critical outlook on sanitation. I have captured and assessed not only physical and material but also human, sentimental and institutional aspects of sanitation and hygiene. In this book, I have located Nepal’s sanitation development in historical frame, assessed the policies, plans and programs vis-à-vis sector dynamics, dig out hidden-socio cultural issues and portrayed the changing paradigm of sanitation interventionsconsidering philosophical, methodological, governance, behavioral, socio-cultural and technological dimensions.  Through this book, I haveintroduced the concept of ‘sector triggering’,’cross-border sanitation intervention’,frameworksfor behavioral change, sanitation-hydro electricity comparative model and post-2017 vision on sanitation.Both national and international level WASH sector professionals have reviewed the book and put their reflection about it.

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By AmitSengupta

You have probably heard of this place or perhaps not. It’s an industrial town tucked away around 50 kms from Kolkata. It’s primarily a quintessential planned urban township but that belies the other reality that this township faced at one point – a lurking sanitation and hygiene crisis which people living across its slums faced and struggled to overcome.

We are talking about Kalyani a bustling municipality in the district of Nadia, which is now an Open Defecation Free (ODF) area. Kalyani’s journey to zero defecation in the open began in the year 2006-06. It was declared an ODF municipality by the government of India in the year 2008. But the journey of this bustling township to ODF was a tough one.

It was at the intervention of the then chairman of Kalyani municipality, Dr. ShantanuJha (he is now an academician attached with Bidhan Chandra KrishiVishwavidyalaya) which was instrumental in triggering the transformational journey of Kalyani to an ODF township. It was his untiring efforts that brought this municipality into the national (it won the National Urban Water Award in 2009) and international radar (much before the Government of India’s flagship sanitation and hygiene campaigns grabbed newsprint).

Dr. Jha adopted the community led total sanitation approach to tackle the staring on-your-face sanitation crisis. He got in touch with Dr. Kamal Kar and the team at CLTS Foundation Global in 2005-06 to understand more about the approach and plan an intervention on behalf of the municipality. Being at the helm of affairs at the municipality Dr. Jha had all the power and authority to bring a change. More than that, he showed a persistent spirit to learn about the CLTS approach and took the challenge head on.

Speaking to CLTS Foundation Global, Dr. Jha said: “There were about 51 slums surrounding the municipality which didn’t the basic facilities of toilets. These were mostly unrecognized lands and hence people and workers living in these areas were deprived from government’s interventions and schemes. The community was used to defecation in the open in the absence of latrines.” The chairman had a mandate to implement the Kolkata Urban Sanitation Programme funded by the DFID. Dr. Jha reminisces: “At that time, we decided not to use the KUSP’s project fund for construction of toilets, initially, in the slums. We rather decided to tackle the behavioral issues and challenges and sanitation and hygiene awareness campaigns.”

“The CLTS approach was the most flexible of a development model I had heard of. It was about breaking the barrier. Even if the slum dwellers’ land was not recognized, we could address the issue by talking to the communities. I also had an able medical officer Dr. KasturiBakshi who worked tirelessly on this project,” said Dr. Jha while discussing about his team.

The chairman said that their approach in intervening in the slums was bottom up and participatory. “The community didn’t’ feel the presence of the municipality during the project. That was an added advantage for us since they completely owned the whole process. Our team did regular stakeholder consultations with elderly people, women and girls, children and youth. We selected some natural leaders in the slums who were instrumental in motivating and influencing the larger community. They were the local champions in triggering change,” he observed.

This created an enabling environment in execution of the project. In the meantime there were rounds of visits from Government authorities and senior ministry officials got to know about the stories of change. Kalyani municipality and Dr. Jha and his team gradually became recognized at the state and national level. Their two years of consistent efforts and community intervention started showing results when the slum dwellers stopped defecation in the open.

“The municipality was declared ODF in 2008-09. I still remember a call I received from a senior bureaucrat from the state government who jovially asked ‘How did you declare yourself ODF and which mechanisms you followed?’.Kalyani municipality was finally recognized by Government of India when we received the National Urban Water Award from the President of India in 2009. Even today when the people of the slums recognize me and talks about the transformational journey they undertook together with our team, nothing can be more satisfying than that,” recalls a proud Dr. Jha.

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