Sanitation Behaviour Change in 60 Gujarat Schools

VILLAGE NETWORK BUILDING FOR COVID PREVENTION & RESPONSE: Utthan adopted a strategy of ‘Capacitating local leadership to create a Village network’ towards fulfilment of following objectives with an outreach to a population of 30000 persons through this effort. 

• Relay prevention and safety messaging
• Monitor safe behaviours & practices in village
• Influence Panchayat to respond to prevalent unsafe behaviours/ practices by creating an enabling environment for communities

This has been done in 20 villages in depth and basic awareness work is being done across 100 villages. The 20 villages chosen include those where there are either some positive COVID cases, poor standards of safety practices, lack of knowledge on COVID/prevention, need to better influence key stakeholders. Except in Bharuch, these are villages where Utthan has a field presence and there is some local leadership to propel the effort.

Implementation: The initiative was implemented by Utthan’s existing team members and Saathi Fellows in collaboration with local village institutions. The village comittee continues to make efforts in monitoring prevention practices. The Activities included 

• Capacity building of key members  on Village Network building in collaboration with a national network we are members of - Rapid Community Response to COVID 19.
• Material translation and conversion into simple Gujarati pamphlets and banners 
• Awareness events to cover hamlets/diff stakeholders - Why the need for preventive steps, covid status (India, Guj, district, block), unsafe behaviours, 6 steps to safety etc.
• Formation of Committee with hamlet representation
• Handholding with Committee for village level actions – through Monthly meeting with Committee

Links:

• Efforts covered by Divya bhaskar, Gujarati media