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.
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