Reports

Despite the gradual achievements in sanitation, still 57% of the country’s population lacks access to a toilet services. Nepal has to achieve at least 53% toilet coverage by 2015 to meet the sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG). Sindhupalchok district though not so far from capital of Nepal still is far behind in sanitation facilities. Sanitation coverage in whole central development region is recorded 46.1% where as Sindhupalchok district has only 32% coverage and 42nd out of the 75 district in terms of sanitation (NMIP 2010). Among the household without sanitation facilities, 44.22% households defecate openly nearby their houses. Government of Nepal has taken target of declaring Sindhupalchok as Open Defecation Free (ODF) zone till the end of December 2015. This project has been launched to improve the sanitation status of Sindhupalchok district by total sanitation approach. The project aims to sensitize and empower communities for ending open defecation and promoting improved hygiene behaviors through collective community actions. ODF status helps to break the vicious cycle of deaths resulting from fecal oral contamination cultivated amid poor hygiene behaviors. Also, the ODF campaign will develop the ownership of D-WASH-CC and V-WASH-CC, seek political commitments for planning and financing, strengthen institutional arrangements and enhance local level planning in order to back up total sanitation movement. This will then help achieve people’s access to improved sanitation and promote hygiene behavior for reducing prevalence of diarrheal diseases and promoting health condition through triggering, capacity building, sector coordination, mass sensitization, community mobilization and institutional development.

This project was launched after the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015 in four VDCs (Sipapokhare, Bhotsipa, Irkhu, and Kubhinde) in Sindhupalchowk district with a major objective of constructing temporary shelters for most vulnerables and establishing community information centres (CICs) for information flow to community in this most transition period. The project is financially supported by the UN-HABITAT. A basic mission of the project is to establish at least 500 temporary shelters with two CICs.

This project was launched in Sipapokhare and Badegaun VDCs of Sindhupalchowk from January 2008 to December 2011 under the financial support of German Embassy in Nepal through Small Grants Program. Following the need identification and analysis of hygiene and sanitation facilities, women groups were formed and trained for building capacity on health, hygiene and sanitation promotion. A total of 105 toilets and 120 improved cooking stoves were constructed in households of most deprived and disadvantaged communities. Coordination and cooperation was done with VDCs for joint programming and cost sharing. The project was ended after the formation of post management committee for sustainable management of hygiene and sanitation facilities in Dalit communities.

In support of Sustainable Peace Development Initiative (SPDI) and UNDP Nepal, this project was carried out in 5 conflict affected VDCs of Sindhupalchowk from January, 2000 to April, 2001. Community organizations were formed and mobilized to identify the conflict affected groups and to secure their human rights through income generating opportunities, advocacy and lobbying with government line agencies. Capacity building training was given to the targeted groups on human rights and good governance, peace and democracy, gender and social inclusion and social mobilization. Community organizations were facilitated for small scale community infrastructure development such as community managed irrigation, drinking water supply and community trail improvement.