Is there possibility to have an open defecation freeenvironment? Experience of RWSEP on WASHin rural settings of Amhara Region

摘要

Rural Water Supply and Environmental Programme RWSEP has been operational in Amhara Region forthe last 14 years since 1994. Phase four has been started in July 2007, with the purpose ofinstitutionalized capacity building at all levels to implement and maintain sustainable communitymanaged water supply with Community Development Fund CDF funding, and sanitation facilities andhygiene promotion activities. The programme is working in 14 Woredas/districts and benefiting2,454,016 people. Training, development and distribution of Water Supply, Sanitation and HygieneWASH promotional materials is part of capacity building practiced by the programme to implementhygiene and sanitation activities at household level. Training is primarily given to Woreda and Zonalfocal persons represented from all WASH sectors and cascaded to the community. Each trainedcommunity sanitation promoter constructs his/her own household latrine and these are referred as modelhouseholds in that Kebele. After constructing his/her own latrine each community sanitation promoterhas a responsibility to make change in 50 households in his/her respective “Gottes”/subKebeles.As aresult of this, in some programme Kebeles Open Defecation Free Environment ODF has been launched?Ankasha Woreda of Awi Zone which has launched ODF in 27 Kebeles out of 30 rural Kebeles and FartaWoreda of South Gonder Zone which has also launched in 4 rural kebeles are examples of programWoredas,. Moreover almost all programme Woredas have shown tremendous change in hygiene andsanitation performance. Through all these efforts put in place throughout the life of the RWSEP, it isanticipated that the beneficiary communities have gained the necessary knowledge which enables them tobring change in their cultural habits, behaviors, attitudes and practices which, in turn, would help themto have better and healthy lives. Therefore if we can empower and work with community, there is a greatpossibility to have ODF at Kebele, Woreda, Zonal and Regional level.