Namaste, and Seasonal Greetings to all our donors, well-wishers and supporters from ECCA, Nepal. In the past months from October to December 11, we had been able to accomplish following activities;
From December onwards, we are implementing Safe Drinking Water Program in 3 schools of Kavre, in coordination with an German Nepalese Help Association (GNHA).
In most of the slum areas, people are using chlorinated water distributed from community water distribution systems. But there are many households who are not using water from the community water distribution system. Hence, targeting those households, a series of door to door campaign was organized in the month of November in different slum areas so as to aware the households regarding the need and importance of using chlorinated water.
A training program on the use of chlorinator was conducted on 5th December 2011 at Binayak Bal Lower Secondary School, Badal Goan Kavre in coordination with GNHA. Altogether 26 participants from different schools participated in the training program. The program included a brief presentation on the water purification methods. It included various data related to water borne diseases in the context of world and in Nepal, the reasons behind different water borne diseases, the need of water purification and the utility of WATASOL for water purification as well as sanitation etc.
For the sustainability and continuity of the programs at the community level for the long run, efficient and effective transfer of information is essential. Hence, after the proper inspection and guidance of all the necessary criteria for handover, ECCA handed over the responsibility of social promotion and distribution of the WATASOL in the community to the schools. However, ECCA will provide the support services that would be required for the schools in social promotion.
With an objective to make aware communities about safe drinking water and sanitation, different water purification methods and to prevent the communities from water borne disease, ECCA organized 2nd Inter School Street Drama Competition on Nov-Dec 2011 in coordination with 10 different schools. A total of 50 street dramas were performed in different 10 communities within Kathmandu valley by the students of 50 schools. The grand finale of the competition is schedule on 20th January 2012 among the winner schools from different 10 communities. And the top three performers at the grand finale program will be awarded with the cash prize.
Nature Club students of street Drama co-organizer schools had placed WATASOL stall in the community where the drama was performed and distributed WATASOL to the community people.
Regular monitoring and follow up visits were done in all the schools and communities where Mini WATA and Standard WATA device have been provided. During such visits, quality of WATASOL and drinking water is checked and possible programs for the promotion of WATASOL is discussed with concerned persons.
Articles related to the WATASOL and 2nd Inter School Drama competition was published in December issue of Ecokhabar (Quarterly Newsletter of ECCA).
To disseminate information about the availability of WATASOL, information boards were installed in different sales outlet situated at Bungamati, Lalitpur.
With the above notes, I would like to express my gratitude towards all our donors and supporters for the program as well as the GlobalGiving team for your continuous backup. We anticipate for the same kind of cooperation and support in the days coming ahead as well as seek your suggestion and guidance for the productive outcome regarding the program in future. I also hope for your small response about your feeling so as to encourage us. You could also drop in your response at ecca@mos.com.np.
The following activities were conducted during July – Sept 2011
Orientation Program
To inform people about the technology and to make them aware, several orientation programs were conducted for the teachers, students, community and different community groups. The orientations given are:
Documentary Show
Documentary show has become popular in school and community. The major focus of the documentary show is to promote safe drinking water and chlorine solution, branded as “WATASOL”. From the documentary, students get information about easy methods to purify water at the local level. The Documentary is on water related issues, water borne diseases and how to disinfect. After the success of the program in the school, the nature club students also replicated the program in the community, neighboring schools and local groups. List of documentary shows:
Door to Door Campaign
To reach out the new community for WATASOL promotion and refilling program in previously implemented areas, Door to Door Campaign has been organized frequently. Door to door campaign was focused in rural place of Lalitpur areas and slum areas of Kathmandu valley. Groups of students along with ECCA volunteers and WATA Resource Materials went to each household in the community and sensitized people about the need of Safe Drinking Water and role of WATASOL for healthy living. Beside the regular refilling program, the door to door Campaigns conducted in different new community were:
National Essay Competition
Since the past 4 years ECCA is organizing National Essay Competition in different topics. This year also, on the occasion of World Environment Day 2011, ECCA announced Essay Competition for secondary level students on the theme “How can we recharge the ground water and make our drinking water safe" The notice related with call for essay competition was published in a national daily Nepali language newspaper Kantipur (June 5, 2011). The students were encouraged to write an essay on the basis of real situation of their own school environment and put their perspective regarding the theme. The competition was open for all the Nepali students studying in grade 6 to 10. The best three essays were announced on July 12 and prizes given on July 23, 2011.
Winner list:
Scholarship Distribution
During the implementation of the WATASOL program in the schools, some of the students from Nature Club were very actively involved and also showed keen interest. So as to encourage them, scholarship materials (a set of note book, bag, copies, pen, pencil and other education materials) were provided. 70 students were provided the scholarship materials. The students were selected on the basis of their involvement in the WATASOL promotional activities and as per the financial need of the student. Selection was done by the nature club themselves in coordination with principal, guide teacher and ECCA social mobilizers.
Scholarship materials were provided to the students of the following schools:
Appreciation Distribution
For supporting the Safe Drinking Water program at the local level, seven individuals were provided Appreciation certificate.
Promotion through local Health Post
In Southern Lalitpur region, linkage was developed with local health post and local women health volunteers. In the beginning, these volunteers were briefed about safe drinking water and WATASOL. Thereafter, while they were visiting households as part of their regular work, they also promoted WATASOL, supported in the refill and monitored its usage. Women health volunteers conducted 9 orientations (one in each ward) on WATASOL to the local mothers’ group and encouraged them to use WATASOL. For about a month, initially, WATASOL was distributed free of cost (to develop the habit). Later, it was sold.
Interaction among different stakeholders
To review the status of WATASOL distribution and promotion strategy, separate interaction was conducted in Dalchowki and in Chaughare (Southern Lalitpur). Participants were from the school teachers, nature club members, school management committee, women health workers and other health post staffs.
Promotion in Private Schools
Orientations and interactions have been done to create awareness in private schools, and Community Drinking Water System (CDWS). The staffs of these institutions have always been supportive in this kind of promotional programs. Through these programs, WATASOL distribution has been possible in the scattered community.
WATASOL stall in different occasions
Students of Tri-ratna Cooperative school are distributing WATASOL from the stall kept in the religious place (Karyabinak Temple) every Saturday. Likewise, ECCA as well as schools are also distributing WATASOL frequently through stalls kept at different occasions and report card distribution.
WATASOL stall kept during report card distribution and other occasions:
Promotion in Adult Literacy Class
To promote WATASOL, the students of Adult Literacy Class were also given orientation about safe drinking water and WATASOL. The students purchased WATASOL and used it.
Chlorinated water distribution through Water Tank
The slum communities have large size public drinking water tank which is managed by their resource person. An entrepreneur visits them and supplies WATASOL. They put WATASOL in the water tank, thereafter treated water is distributed to the slum dwellers.
Promotion at water distributor
In case of Yashodhara Bouddha Secondary School, one of the staff Mr. Dhurba Prasad Amatya promoted WATASOL in Gangajal water distributor – which is a mineral water producing company. After few interaction and follow up they agreed to use WATASOL for disinfecting the equipments. Now the school is selling WATASOL to them.
Sales from individual nature club students
In some schools, some students need to come from far-away places. So the normal promotional activities could not reach such locality. In such case, individual students of that far-away community promote WATASOL in their respective area, for which they get 30% of the WATASOL sales. They are thus helping to promote WATASOL as well as getting certain incentive, which motivates them for further promotion in their area.
Monitoring visits
Regular monitoring is being done in all the localities where Mini WATA and Standard WATA device have been provided. During such visits quality of WATASOL and drinking water is checked and possible programs for the promotion of WATASOL is discussed with concerned persons.
Interschool Competition
Harisiddhi Nature Club of Harisiddhi Higher Secondary School organized an Interschool Competition in different heading such as Essay competition (6th July, 2011), Art Competition (7th July 2011) and Debate Competition ( 8th July, 2011). On the last day of the program (9th July), prizes and certificates were distributed for the winners. The main objective of the program was to create awareness about the Safe Drinking Water and WATASOL among the students from different schools.
Production of A Short Documentary
A short documentary on water borne disease and WATASOL was recently produced by ECCA.
Implementation of Project in 3 more schools of Illam
In coordination with a NGO Namsaling Community Development Center (NCDC), Illam ECCA transferred the technology to 3 more schools at Illam.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all donors for your continuous support in our initiation. We would also like to request you to send us your feedback, comments and suggestion regarding our project at ecca@mos.com.np so that we could implement our programs more effectively.
Regards,
Links:
The following activities were conducted during January – March 2011
To uplift the awareness about the importance of Safe drinking water for healthy life and the role of WATASOL for it, a door to door campaign was conducted to the different areas. During the door to door campaign, ECCA had mobilized Nature Club students of different schools. Involvement of Nature Club students in the campaign will develop their skill in such activities and it was felt that they gained confidence to deal with the community.
Orientation on safe drinking water was conducted for women’s group of Lalitpur called Bhelachen Maa Pucha, Bhelachen, Lalitpur on 9th January, different local child clubs on 22nd January and Jagat Sundar Bwonekothi Secondary School, Kathmandu on 4th March 2011.
To share and to learn, modalities and best practices, a seminar on ‘Safe Drinking Water, was jointly organized by Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES), Dhaka, Bangladesh and ANTENNA Technologies, Switzerland on January 17-19, 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The aim of the seminar is to ensure a common mutual learning on the Pilot programmes for testing different business models for selling chlorine in Nepal, Bangladesh and India.
Previously Safe Drinking water campaign was promoted through Nature Clubs of the schools, Community Drinking Water Supply (CDWS) and individual entrepreneurs. But with the beginning of the year 2011 ECCA has been successful to promote WATASOL through women’s group. One of the women’s group called Bhelachen Maa Pucha, Bhelachen, Lalitpur has already started promoting WATASOL as a solution for safe water treatment in their area.
To enhance the visual impact, information boards were installed in different places like Letang Market Place, in front of Village Development committee (VDC), Letang, Morang, in Lalit Kalyan Lower Secondary School and Prabhat Higher Secondary School of Lalitpur. Similarly two flex were also distributed in each chlorinator implementing school. And posters were pasted in the project implementing area.
WATASOL stall: To raise awareness about water purification techniques among parents and community, WATASOL stall was placed in the schools during report card distribution as well as in different places.
Street Drama: During Khokana Mahatsav on 15th -17th January, Nature Club students of Tri-ratna Cooperative School had performed street drama in Machindra Bahal & Khokana on the theme “Importance of WATASOL in water purification”.
Documentary show: On 1st February, the documentary show on contamination of drinking water was held at Machhindra Bahal, Bungmati, Lalitpur. The objective of the program was to aware the community about the water related issues, the rate of water pollution and importance of its purification.
Community Interaction Program: Lalit kalyan Lower Secondary School and ECCA had jointly organized community interaction program on water purification techniques on 22nd February in the school. About 30 participants from the community along with teachers and school students had participated in the program. The participants were interested in WATASOL technology and shared their queries. The interaction made the program more convenient and effective and the experiences shared by the teachers helped to build trust. The interaction program was followed by a drama show presented by the students of the nature club on importance of water purification.
Mick Minard (conservation + communications) from U.S visited ECCA and developed communication tool (a visual narrative) for ECCA.
Similarly, Christophe Menigault from Cause A Effect visited ECCA and developed video and article on how ECCA is promoting chlorinator technology in Nepal.
World Wetland Day: On the occasion of World Wetland Day 2011, door to door campaign on safe drinking water was conducted on 2nd February to the community of Dhapakhel area. The program was followed by visit to Nagdaha (one of the wetland) and sharing about different environmental issued on wetland.
World Water Day: Similarly, on the occasion of World Water Day 2011, different programs such as Water Walk at different Stone Spouts of Lalitpur, water classroom visit located at Yasodhara Bouddha Sec School and documentary show was conducted on 22nd March. In the program counselors, volunteer and Nature club students had participated. Sharing on different water related issues’ including importance of water purification was also done during the program.
To share the experiences and problems during different promotional activities of WATASOL in the community, an interaction program was organized between 15 Nature Clubs of different schools, on 1st March. 48 participants from these clubs had participated in the interaction program. Problems along with the possible solutions were discussed during the program
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Kathmandu,
Bagmati,
Nepal
http://www.ecca.org.np
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