When I joined WaterAid in Nepal just two years ago, I was sad to know that more than half of Nepalis still defecating in open areas each morning. I was astonished to hear that 10,500 children below 5 years are dying each year in this country due to preventable diseases like diarrhea and cholera. JMP Report 2010 stated that world is off track in meeting sanitation MDG targets and it is also true for Nepal. World Toilet Day has been incepted by World Toilet Organization recognizing huge contribution of toilet and sanitation towards dignified and healthy lives.
WaterAid Nepal together with partners wanted to do something differently in this day as campaigning movement. Brainstorming ideas with partners and colleagues came up with the idea of developing a concept note encompassing information like objectives, statistical information and campaign ideas to ease partners to campaign innovatively. These content were later translated and contextualized in local languages by Federation of Water and Sanitation Users Nepal (FEDWASUN).
It was early day on November 19, 2010 students from 3 different community schools were on the roads with placards of toilet and sanitation slogans in Dhading and Pyuthan. It was not only school management but wider stakeholders also supported FEDWASUN in organizing other 3 joint rallies in market areas of Dhanding, Pyuthan and Dang to spread the awareness among wider audience. These rallies were participated by around 2000 people comprising diverse groups like Chief District Officer, political leaders, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Army personnel, media stakeholders, development activists, teachers and students. Chief District Officer, Pyuthan opined “World Toilet Day campaign should be continued for achieving target of declaring Pyuthan as Open Defecation Free zone by 2013. Chief District Office will be committed to provide all the possible support to continue to the momentum”.
We were determined this time that campaigns should not be limited only in organizing rallies so we we provided several ideas to our partners to sprout their contextualized creativity. I was happy to find that FEDWASUN Makwanpur used this platform to share findings of toilet status analysis, different committees were formed to promote sanitation status, interaction programs organized to promote active engagement in sanitation sector. Baglung district chapter opted unique ways like sanitation theme based folk song competition and protest program organized by children at District Education Office(DEO) for demanding easy toilet access in schools. Similarly, Dang also organized protest program at DEO and they also handed over an appeal letter with their demand of toilets in schools to Chief District Officer.
We were delighted to hear news from Lumanti- Support Group for Shelter that they raised awareness of children on hygienic behavior in partnership with Biratnagar municipality. Children were highly eager to learn hand washing techniques to keep them clean and healthy.
We always had a tough time to monitor success of our campaigns so we forecasted success indicators to measure campaign effectiveness. Campaigning with creativity was more than anticipated in the success indicator. Presence of high profile and decision makers was more than the anticipated indicator. Media coverage of the campaign was just in the range of anticipation while the number of participants ie. 500 per district were slightly missed. We felt it was just beginning of monitoring changes and coordinating agencies should be mapping changes made in access of sanitation services as result of increased political commitment and financing in the sector.
Global campaign to ensure sanitation and water for all!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Strength of solidarity to campaign together
The dreams of sanitation campaigners were shattered by the news of sad demise of supreme national leaders. The chaos and confusion was everywhere in the country. There was a huge hope that he would not die so soon at least not before the campaign. All the dreams and hope would never come true in life that taught us to move ahead with courage.
Photo courtesy: Kantipur publications
The campaigners were relieved that they had initiated their queue in the supermarket. The volunteers were putting all their efforts to convince the customers to join the queue in thesupport of the people who were deprived of their basic right of sanitation. It was not that tough for people to convince therefore the campaigners received support from more than 10,000 customers of the supermarket. It did not mean that there were not people who were there to argue against the campaign as they believed on service delivery than campaigning. The crux of sustainable development paradigm was that there should be intermix of both service delivery and influencing for increasing the wider coverage of the development interventions.
Photo courtesy: Anita Pradhan, WAN
Solidarity brought diversity and beauty out of these differences in thinking and doing things differently. Perfectionist would prefer everything in order. The reality of success had shown that it preferred chaordic path which would be combination of chaos and order. The campaign in Nepal looked very chaos from external eyes with several things happening at a time as there were queue organized in 28 districts. The gatherings in remote areas varied in number and campaigning design but the cause was something that bound them all together in a single string as a garland of different flowers.
Photo courtesy: NEWAH
Health professional joined the campaign in organizing series of events outside and inside Kathmandu. The queue near the hospital was another form to generate support from other health stakeholders. They submitted the appeal letter demanding the right of sanitation to Local Development Officer in Kathmandu.
Photo courtesy: WAN
Main campaign event of the queue had to be postponed due to death of the supreme leader. These last minute changes did not shattered the strength of the campaigners. They were further united and came up with the alternative plan to organize series of side events on the 22 March 2010. There was strength in unity that had been proved by the success of the campaigners in organizing World Longest Toilet Queue events in 22 different parts of Kathmandu and Lalitpur only on the single day. The solidarity of the campaigners was remarkable who stood with each other and delivered their best contribution for raising supporters to make stand for sanitation and water for all.
Photo courtesy: NGOFUWS
The campaign at Nepal was different from previous years in several ways. Series of interactions and meetings with other organizations and stakeholders was immense. The meeting had been fruitful as there had been preparation of talking points followed by series of in-house meetings to ensure convincing presentation with the external audiences. It had enabled the campaigners to join hands with 24 organizations ranging from Bhatbhateni Supermarket to Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organization.
Interactions with external agencies made the campaigners realized that the concept of inclusive campaign should be promoted where youth, children and disabled communities will not be simply invited for the campaign but also provided equal opportunity to share the campaign platform. There were photographic exhibition based on last year’s dirrhoeal epidemic and poster competition led by youth networks, children painting competition allowing children to show their sanitation expressions, wall cartoon exhibition led by Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organization working for differently abled communities; traditional music, sanitation coverage map, sanitation theme based drama, menstrual hygiene installation art led by the group of artists were some of the events that helped to create the feeling of the inclusive campaigning.
Photo courtesy: WAN
Creativity in the campaigning was prominent in spreading campaign messages. The wall paint with the logo and message of the campaign together with hoarding boards with series of the blunt messages were the earlier messages that went to the wider audiences. These hoarding boards were talk of the town for several days. There were some articles in the media based on the campaign issues together with series of interview both in radio and television channels. The promotional materials of the event comprised of wrist band and t-shirts for volunteers for showing the solidarity for the cause with the amplifying note.
Measuring the outcomes of the campaign had always been a challenging task. Shared calendars were experimented together with the bigger wall calendars. The visualization of the campaigning process performed almost in daily basis helped to create clarity and common understanding in the process. Experimental report card had been initiated to measure the outcomes of the campaign that would still need some improvement.
Campaigning together with diverse communities definitely taught good lessons. There should have regular face to face interactions than relying on online communications that would have brought more clarity on the future directions and increase team building with sharing of responsibilities. The campaigning required more time and effort for planning so there should be adequate time and human resources to plan ahead of time to ensure effectiveness. There should have been proper documentation plan so that all these recordings, photographs and video clippings would have been shared promptly without compromising the quality.
In the nutshell, the campaign provided us several insights that we could use for our future campaigns. On the top of that, the solidarity of our campaigners was something that touched me most. I salute you all and thank you for being so cooperative we managed to cover up our challenge brought forward by the sad demise of the supreme leader.
Photo courtesy: NEPHA
Photo courtesy: Kantipur publications
The campaigners were relieved that they had initiated their queue in the supermarket. The volunteers were putting all their efforts to convince the customers to join the queue in thesupport of the people who were deprived of their basic right of sanitation. It was not that tough for people to convince therefore the campaigners received support from more than 10,000 customers of the supermarket. It did not mean that there were not people who were there to argue against the campaign as they believed on service delivery than campaigning. The crux of sustainable development paradigm was that there should be intermix of both service delivery and influencing for increasing the wider coverage of the development interventions.
Photo courtesy: Anita Pradhan, WAN
Solidarity brought diversity and beauty out of these differences in thinking and doing things differently. Perfectionist would prefer everything in order. The reality of success had shown that it preferred chaordic path which would be combination of chaos and order. The campaign in Nepal looked very chaos from external eyes with several things happening at a time as there were queue organized in 28 districts. The gatherings in remote areas varied in number and campaigning design but the cause was something that bound them all together in a single string as a garland of different flowers.
Photo courtesy: NEWAH
Health professional joined the campaign in organizing series of events outside and inside Kathmandu. The queue near the hospital was another form to generate support from other health stakeholders. They submitted the appeal letter demanding the right of sanitation to Local Development Officer in Kathmandu.
Photo courtesy: WAN
Main campaign event of the queue had to be postponed due to death of the supreme leader. These last minute changes did not shattered the strength of the campaigners. They were further united and came up with the alternative plan to organize series of side events on the 22 March 2010. There was strength in unity that had been proved by the success of the campaigners in organizing World Longest Toilet Queue events in 22 different parts of Kathmandu and Lalitpur only on the single day. The solidarity of the campaigners was remarkable who stood with each other and delivered their best contribution for raising supporters to make stand for sanitation and water for all.
Photo courtesy: NGOFUWS
The campaign at Nepal was different from previous years in several ways. Series of interactions and meetings with other organizations and stakeholders was immense. The meeting had been fruitful as there had been preparation of talking points followed by series of in-house meetings to ensure convincing presentation with the external audiences. It had enabled the campaigners to join hands with 24 organizations ranging from Bhatbhateni Supermarket to Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organization.
Interactions with external agencies made the campaigners realized that the concept of inclusive campaign should be promoted where youth, children and disabled communities will not be simply invited for the campaign but also provided equal opportunity to share the campaign platform. There were photographic exhibition based on last year’s dirrhoeal epidemic and poster competition led by youth networks, children painting competition allowing children to show their sanitation expressions, wall cartoon exhibition led by Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organization working for differently abled communities; traditional music, sanitation coverage map, sanitation theme based drama, menstrual hygiene installation art led by the group of artists were some of the events that helped to create the feeling of the inclusive campaigning.
Photo courtesy: WAN
Creativity in the campaigning was prominent in spreading campaign messages. The wall paint with the logo and message of the campaign together with hoarding boards with series of the blunt messages were the earlier messages that went to the wider audiences. These hoarding boards were talk of the town for several days. There were some articles in the media based on the campaign issues together with series of interview both in radio and television channels. The promotional materials of the event comprised of wrist band and t-shirts for volunteers for showing the solidarity for the cause with the amplifying note.
Measuring the outcomes of the campaign had always been a challenging task. Shared calendars were experimented together with the bigger wall calendars. The visualization of the campaigning process performed almost in daily basis helped to create clarity and common understanding in the process. Experimental report card had been initiated to measure the outcomes of the campaign that would still need some improvement.
Campaigning together with diverse communities definitely taught good lessons. There should have regular face to face interactions than relying on online communications that would have brought more clarity on the future directions and increase team building with sharing of responsibilities. The campaigning required more time and effort for planning so there should be adequate time and human resources to plan ahead of time to ensure effectiveness. There should have been proper documentation plan so that all these recordings, photographs and video clippings would have been shared promptly without compromising the quality.
In the nutshell, the campaign provided us several insights that we could use for our future campaigns. On the top of that, the solidarity of our campaigners was something that touched me most. I salute you all and thank you for being so cooperative we managed to cover up our challenge brought forward by the sad demise of the supreme leader.
Photo courtesy: NEPHA
WLTQ going through storm of uncertainity
Nepalese sanitation for all campaigners had put large amount of thinking and energy for World's Longest Toilet Queue in Nepal to show solidarity at the global level for raising political commitment on sanitation. The campaign was formally to be launched on 20 March 2010 however Guthi and NGOFUWS had organized Soymanbhu Cleaning program, the place where we did our last candle vigil to memorize commitments made on the sector. The program was used as the means to orient volunteers on the forthcoming WLTQ campaign.
There were lots of meetings, discussions and tossing of brains. Last minute preparations were all completed. WASH Nepal, FEDWASUN and Public Health Association had taken responsibility to organize these campaigns in other nearly 30 places outside Kathmandu. Ashutosh Tiwari, CR, WaterAid in Nepal had been instrumental in bringing other stakeholders on board in the campaign. He together with Anil Thaman, another person with creative mind and logistic coordinator for the campaign had convinced Bhatbhateni Supermarket, the biggest supermarket of the country to launch the toilet queue in their premise. They had also allowed us to organize the queue in all three days for the interested customers who visit their supermarket. We were all thrilled with the crowd flowing to our queue however deep inside there was some suspicion that something bad could happen as we were given a hint, a day earlier by our CR to be mentally prepared to deal with this situation.
The queue was organized on the main entrance of the supermarket. The large plasma television was near to our queue, frequently we were surfing these news. It was around 1 pm where we received the news that Girija Prasad Koirala, supreme national leader of our country had died. Suddenly, the roller coaster of uncertainty of our campaign was there. We were sad as it was somehow affected all our energy and thinking we invested for last two months. We were numb and could not react, several calls from different partners flooded as we had also planned to organize a candle light vigil on the same evening. We were not sure what we do next?
Hope you are not bored yet reading my blogs till now, may be you should wait for my next blog to know what we did next!
There were lots of meetings, discussions and tossing of brains. Last minute preparations were all completed. WASH Nepal, FEDWASUN and Public Health Association had taken responsibility to organize these campaigns in other nearly 30 places outside Kathmandu. Ashutosh Tiwari, CR, WaterAid in Nepal had been instrumental in bringing other stakeholders on board in the campaign. He together with Anil Thaman, another person with creative mind and logistic coordinator for the campaign had convinced Bhatbhateni Supermarket, the biggest supermarket of the country to launch the toilet queue in their premise. They had also allowed us to organize the queue in all three days for the interested customers who visit their supermarket. We were all thrilled with the crowd flowing to our queue however deep inside there was some suspicion that something bad could happen as we were given a hint, a day earlier by our CR to be mentally prepared to deal with this situation.
The queue was organized on the main entrance of the supermarket. The large plasma television was near to our queue, frequently we were surfing these news. It was around 1 pm where we received the news that Girija Prasad Koirala, supreme national leader of our country had died. Suddenly, the roller coaster of uncertainty of our campaign was there. We were sad as it was somehow affected all our energy and thinking we invested for last two months. We were numb and could not react, several calls from different partners flooded as we had also planned to organize a candle light vigil on the same evening. We were not sure what we do next?
Hope you are not bored yet reading my blogs till now, may be you should wait for my next blog to know what we did next!
Hecting planning with feeling of excitement
I used to think that I am the person who is never tired with responsibilities, do you also feel the same? It has been nearly 2 months, we were planning for the World Longest Toilet Queue. It is not only me, there was all team members of WaterAid in Nepal, partner agencies as well as other stakeholders engaged in the campaigning. For me, it was first time, working so closely with variety of people and organizations, all having different working style and priorities. True, there was more need of balancing acts to deal with these diverse people and mindsets:) Sometimes you feel so excited that you forget all those tiredness and sometimes you are so frustrated that you just want to shut your mind and mouth:( All those mixed feelings were there while planning and moving ahead.
World Longest Toilet Queue is starting from tomorrow. We have finished all our planning and now the time has come to unfold those plans and dreams. The queue will be organized for all 3 days in Bhatbhateni Supermarket, the country's biggest supermarket and credit goes to Ashutosh who always had a bigger dream for the campaign as well as good contact with friends like Anil Thaman who made our dream of organizing the queue in the supermarket become a reality by convincing the owner of the supermarket. The convincing skills of these two people is a great asset to our campaign.
Another attraction for tomorrow is candle light vigil to be organized in memory of Jajarkot and adjacent districts where people died last year from diarrohoea. The vigil will be coordinated by our NGOFUWS and Guthi, our active members who had been great mobilizer of youth volunteers.
Public Health Association is another stakeholder who is organizing mini queue in front of hospital as well as lobby programs in Local Development Office. These are activities planned for Sunday. The association had also agreed to bring students with their uniform to gather in the main event at Tudikhel.
Tudikhel event is major attraction where several of other organizations like Pashim Paila organizing photo exhibition of jajarkot, Yaatra organizing poster competition and live painting, Patan CBR organizing wall comic exhibition of disabled communities, wireless space sponsored by Worldlink are some extra activities in Tudikhel. Well, there will be space for writing letters to parliamentarians demanding their urgent actions. I forgot to mention about our musical programs. There are more and more. If I go on sharing it will definitely be a long story.
We have dreamed and planned these together but let's see how it all goes. If we succeed then it will be a success story if not then it will be a good lesson so that we dare to be more ambitious next time:)
More stories and my reflections to come.......
World Longest Toilet Queue is starting from tomorrow. We have finished all our planning and now the time has come to unfold those plans and dreams. The queue will be organized for all 3 days in Bhatbhateni Supermarket, the country's biggest supermarket and credit goes to Ashutosh who always had a bigger dream for the campaign as well as good contact with friends like Anil Thaman who made our dream of organizing the queue in the supermarket become a reality by convincing the owner of the supermarket. The convincing skills of these two people is a great asset to our campaign.
Another attraction for tomorrow is candle light vigil to be organized in memory of Jajarkot and adjacent districts where people died last year from diarrohoea. The vigil will be coordinated by our NGOFUWS and Guthi, our active members who had been great mobilizer of youth volunteers.
Public Health Association is another stakeholder who is organizing mini queue in front of hospital as well as lobby programs in Local Development Office. These are activities planned for Sunday. The association had also agreed to bring students with their uniform to gather in the main event at Tudikhel.
Tudikhel event is major attraction where several of other organizations like Pashim Paila organizing photo exhibition of jajarkot, Yaatra organizing poster competition and live painting, Patan CBR organizing wall comic exhibition of disabled communities, wireless space sponsored by Worldlink are some extra activities in Tudikhel. Well, there will be space for writing letters to parliamentarians demanding their urgent actions. I forgot to mention about our musical programs. There are more and more. If I go on sharing it will definitely be a long story.
We have dreamed and planned these together but let's see how it all goes. If we succeed then it will be a success story if not then it will be a good lesson so that we dare to be more ambitious next time:)
More stories and my reflections to come.......
Remembering our commitment
Time flies very fast, it just seems like yesterday that Monkey Temple was shined by candle vigil organized in memory of children who lost their lives due to preventable diseases and asking urgent political commitment and actions to end these preventable deaths. Nearly after an year, the same campaigners organized themselves and organized Soyambhu Cleaning Program.
Nabindra Raj Joshi, Constituent Assembly Member was present in the event organized by the campaigners on 18 March 2010. He emphasized importance of right to sanitation for people living with dignity. He reiterated his commitments for supporting the cause so that no one in Nepal is deprived from these basic requirements of life.
Ashutosh Tiwari briefed devastating deaths that can be prevented and urged for increased political commitments for ensuring sanitation for all. He shared on the series of events that are being planned for world longest toilet queue and requested people to participate in the queue that is going to be organized on 22 March at Tudikhel from 1-5 pm.
Interesting part of the campaign was to see voluntary spirit of the young people towards the cleaning program as well as for the support of the cause to ensure sanitized scenario. The blunt message of the banner stating "even today 1 crore 40 lakh Nepalis defecated openly" was another attraction. I tried to take reaction of the people who were there, some said that it is so straightforward and were just laughing and laughing. Some said it was good message and hoped these campaigns will bring change in the country, overall was the mixed feeling.
Creative mind find ways to express
Photo: Anita Pradhan, WAN
Ashmina Ranjit, a well known artist in Nepal performed an installation art to show social taboos of menstruation. The artist was wearing a gown made of sanitary napkins and was carrying a pipe where blood was flowing. Women during menstrual period are treated as impure and are not allowed to enter kitchen. In some rural areas, women are prime targets of wild life as they were not allowed to sleep inside house and had to sleep outside during these periods. It will be amazing to note that some women were not allowed to eat properly. The things are worse in rural areas where young girls have to miss their school as they do not have toilet in their schools. It is believed that these women should not touch any plants. The artist with her creativity challenged these social notions.
What was tough for us as advocates to spread these social messages through creative forms like installation art? WaterAid in Nepal team especially Anita and Om had worked together with the artists to help her in the different messages that society should be knowing in terms of menstrual hygiene. The crowd gathering to enjoy and have fun will not be that conscious and serious on grasping the messages. Thinking was that there will be wider coverage in media as well as presence of high profile members in the gathering will definitely make menstruation, a political topic to be covered and discussed.
It is not so easy to have some well known artist be convinced to take forward the issue that she has been raising and incorporate issues of menstruation hygiene. Maintaining balance of spreading message of menstruation as social taboo was much easier than that of menstruation hygiene. It made me feel that may be we need to have more interactions and discussions to crystallize our thoughts and share it with her so that she can add more essence of her creativity in changing dimensions of menstruation hygiene.
Big thanks goes to Ashmina who has agreed to take this issue of menstruation forward and helping us with breaking the silence of menstruation. Appreciations should also be given to Anita and Om who had been constantly communicating with the artists and helping with her for chalking out the messages that society should be knowing. I should not be forgetting Ashutosh sir and Rabin sir for their motivations and encouragements, we tried something new and it worked but were we successful or not we are yet to measure:)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Series of planning for transforming idea of creative campaign a reality
World Longest Toilet Queue, most awaited campaign is almost near to our door steps as 20-22 March 2010 is nearly after a month. EWP Nepal, FAN Nepal and WASH Chapter in Nepal is organizing the event jointly under the banner of consolidated campaign on Sanitation and Water for All in Nepal. There has been several rounds of informal discussions and interactions that led to this principle agreement of organizing the event jointly under the consolidated campaign banner. It has been agreed that all these networks will work together but also work independently in the areas where they have better hold without duplicating efforts but complimenting each other.
February 10 brought these members together in a platform to plan more vigorously for moving forward the campaign with more compliment but ensuring vigorous coverage. It was decided that there will be a big national event in Kathmandu on March 22, 2010 but there will be several events organized in rural parts of the country so that there will be events within all three days to show national commitment to the global campaigning. The WASH team member had already initiated process of orienting rural team members and spreading the message with the network members. EWP Nepal had communicated with other donor agencies, media as well government and political representatives. FAN Nepal had prepared a plan for orienting other rural partners and network members to have a wider coverage of the event. There has been preparation of some locally relevant reference documents as well as translated version of registration sheet that can be used in rural communities who cannot read English formats.
Discussion with the campaigners emerged creative ideas that could be made operational. The ideas of bringing together celebrities from different sections of life as movies, sports, human right and media were discussed. The country had recently witnessed a disastrous diarroheal outbreak in Jajarkot and its adjacent remote districts.The campaign should be taken as an event to share tribute to these 315 life lost and solidarity to 47,000 people who were negatively affected by this disaster. The concept of candle light vigil could be organized was the voice raised in the gathering. It was strongly opined that there should be a strong component of entertainment to gather the crowd and pass the sanitation message but with fun. Media should be a strong partner in the campaign, there should be series of write ups in the newspapers and online papers, there could be a mind captivating photo of children in queue to attract people's attention. Youth are the pillars of any development and they do play pivotal role in the campaign like this so there should be proper mobilization strategy for promoting young advocates in the sector.
The preliminary discussion in the planning meeting had showed varieties of the events that could be organized in the Nepal campaign. It was realized that there should be serious thinking, can we implement all these ideas? Are we being more ambitious and do we have resources to do all these creative ideas? There are several other questions in the mind of the campaigners that are still unanswered. May be we need another series of deep thought provoking planning event?
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