VIN has supported 150 families from Okharpauwa, Nuwakot to build permanent toilets. It has ensured that 150 families from Okharpauwa got access to toilets. VIN’s water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project was successfully implemented in Okharpauwa. It has trained people about personal hygiene, hand washing with soap and water, water purification techniques and garbage management.

VIN has been implementing WASH project in Okharpauwa, Jitpurphedi, Taluwa, Bhadaure and Thualchap. It is a reconstruction project adopted by VIN to support communities after earthquake in Nepal. VIN has identified three main hygiene and sanitation needs within the communities: access to toilets and waste removal system, access to safe drinking water and awareness on proper health, hygiene and sanitation. It focuses on VIN’s approach to Total sanitation and on first hand it supports on “Open Defecation Free” community campaign by ensuring that every family in communities has access to a toilet.

The major aim of the project was to increase community people access to hygiene and sanitation facilities.

The key concepts of VIN’s WASH project were:

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  By combining education with the provision of facilities, VIN aimed to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of the hygiene and sanitation component of its Public health and medical care;

  
  
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  By forming users committee and utilizing social groups created as part of VIN’s other programs or existed in communities, especially Women’s Groups, children’s clubs, youth clubs, VIN aims to further empower these marginalized groups and enhance acceptance of the Community Health Program’s aims and actions within the community; and

  
  
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  By encouraging community participation and adopting a cost-sharing approach, VIN aims to encourage local ownership to increase the effectiveness of the actions being implemented and ensure sustainability of the project.

  
  

Key activities carried out were-

1. Advocacy on WASH at local and district level

2. Formation of Users committee

3. Tailor-made interventions including Campaigns and Trainings on health, safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation

4. Identification of priority communities and families

a) Villages with the lowest proportion of families with access to a toilet were given highest priority. Those were generally the poorest communities, often of the lower caste, Dalits and janajatis.

b) Those villages with Women’s Groups were prioritized first to further empower those women and aid implementation; and

C) Community interest in change was gauged to ensure that the Toilet Construction Project would be accepted, aiding effectiveness and sustainability

5. Social mapping and community mobilization

6. Toilet construction

It was provided technical assistance and share the costs of construction with the local community. Specifically, it has funded and provided certain construction materials that was harder to source and skilled manpower, while the community has provided the physical labour and construction materials that was available locally. It took 5 days to complete a designed toilet, where family made everything ready in prior.

7. Follow-up training

Post completion of the toilets, VIN facilitated training on recommended use and maintenance of the new facilities to ensure effectiveness and sustainability of the Project.

8. Sustainability

Key points for the sustainability of the project.

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  Coordination with government, CSOs (local NGO and CBO) and private sector in hygiene and sanitation

  
  

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  District level advocacy on sanitation and hygiene promotion

  
  
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  Training of local CBOs in sanitation and hygiene promotion

  
  
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  Increased capacity of teachers and learners in promoting and managing hygiene and sanitation in schools

  
  
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  Developed capacity of users committee for effective and sustainable delivery of hygiene and sanitation services

  
  
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  Promoted equity and inclusion in the delivery of sanitation and hygiene services for excluded and marginalized people

  
  

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  Encouraged community participation and involved local capable stakeholders in project implementation as core staffs or volunteers

  
  
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  Formed a steering committee with representatives from CBOs and local stakeholders and strengthening the committee

  
  
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  Target groups were trained on safe recycling of sanitation products for productive use (women were highly encouraged)

  
  
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  The project was linked up with public health and medical care program and empowerment programs to ensure continuity in future