“After I completed my higher education, I opted to become a teacher. I have always lived here. This is where I grew up. When I was still a young girl, we roamed around the village without slippers – our bodies dirty and muddy and our hair unkempt. I am surely not trying to put the blame on our parents because now I understand how the scarcity of water can impact our cleanliness, health and hygiene. Even today, though things seem to have improved, it is still on the surface. I see my pupils come to class just like when I was a girl. Dirty and dry. I am sure that the parents did their best but when resources are scarce, you have to forego things. Do you use the water to clean hair, take a bath or do you use the water to cook? One has to choose.
The climate here also showed no mercy. Droughts are common and people struggle to get water to drink and for their crops. Therefore, keeping children clean and tidy is sometimes a far cry not only because there’s less water but toilets and other washing facilities are also not enough. Although the region has been declared free of open defecation there are instances where people run behind the due for the lack of toilets and proper sanitation systems.
One could say things are improving, but one can also argue it’s at a tortoise’s pace. Although there is water, it is insufficient. As a reason the operations of the school, health facilities and the community are hampered on a daily basis. There are reserve tanks and toilets but they are poorly managed. The four toilets in Saraswati Secondary School, Palata-2 Raduneta are being used by over 600 boys and girls and are far less that the allocated 18. There is a need for more toilets, reliable and continuous water supply both in households, water-stations, schools and health facilities. Also, I think it is important to consider disposal of women’s sanitary items and access for elderly and persons with disabilities when building new toilets.
So, things are still incomplete in terms of water, hygiene and sanitation here. There is a lot that could be done and needs to be done. Imagine students coming from their home carrying water containers to take back water from school. Things can get pretty dire at times.”
Sushila Bom Shahi, Saraswati Secondary School, Raduneta, Palata-2, Kalikot
“उच्च शिक्षा हासिल गरेपछि मैले शिक्षण पेशालाई अपनाउने निर्णय गरेँ । म बाल्यकालदेखि नै यतै छु । यतै हुर्किएँ, अनि यतै ठूलो भएँ । म सानो हुँदा चप्पल पनि नलगाएर गाउँभरि डुल्थेँ । शरिरभरि धुलोमैलो हुन्थ्यो । कपाल कोरिन्नथ्यो । एसो भनिराख्दा मैले मेरो बाआमालाई दोष दिन खोजेको होइन । पानीको अभावले स्वास्थ्य तथा सरसफाइमा कस्तो असर पार्दो रहेछ भन्ने बल्ल बुझ्दैछु । अहिले केही सुधार भएको देखिएता पनि आज पनि यो समस्या सतहमा नै देखिन्छ । मेरो कक्षामा आज पनि केही विद्यार्थीहरू त्यसरी नै आउँछन् जसरी म सानी केटी हुँदा विद्यालय जाने गर्थेँ । कपाल-सपाल केही नकोरी फोहोरी भएर । मलाई थाहा छ तिनीहरूका अभिभावकले पनि सकेसम्म गरिरहेकैछन् । तर जब स्रोतकै अभाव हुन्छ, तब केही कुरा त्याग्नै पर्ने रहेछ । अलिकती पानी छ, त्यसले नुहाउने कि, कपाल मात्रै भिजाउने कि, भात पकाउने? कुनै एउटा मात्रै कुरा छान्नुपर्ने अवस्था छ ।
हामीलाई त मौसमले पनि साथ दिँदैन । खडेरी परिरहन्छ । अनि यहाँका काकाकुल मानिसहरूलाई पिउन र खेतमा लगाउने पानी पाउन संघर्ष गर्नुपर्छ । त्यसैले केटाकेटीहरूलाई सफासुग्घर राख्न कहिलेकाहीँ धेरै गाह्रो पर्छ । पानीको मात्रै अभाव होइन, यहाँ त शौचालय र नुहाउने धुने ठाउँ पनि प्रशस्त छैनन् । यो ठाउँ खुल्ला दिसा मुक्त क्षेत्र घोषणा भइसकेको भएता पनि मानिसहरू शौचालयको अभावमा झाडीतिर अनि जंगलतिर जान बाध्य छन् ।
अवस्था बिस्तारै परिवर्तन हुँदैछ तर कछुवाको गतिमा भइरहेको छ। पानी त छ तर पर्याप्त छैन । त्यसले गर्दा विद्यालयको, स्वास्थ्य सेवाको र समुदायको दैनिकीमा ठूलो असर परिरहेको छ । पानी ट्याङ्की र शौचालय त छन् तर व्यवस्थित छैनन् । हाम्रो सरस्वती मावि, पलाता-2, रदुनेटामा ६०० भन्दा बढी छात्रछात्राको लागि ४ वटा मात्रै शौचालय छन् । हुनुपर्ने कम्तीमा १८ वटा हो । त्यसैले यहाँ थप अरु शौचालयहरूको आवश्यकता छ । साथै, घरमा, स्कुलमा र स्वास्थ सेवामा पनि प्रयोग गर्न मिल्ने नियमित र भरपर्दो पानीको आपुर्तीको व्यवस्था मिलाउन आवश्यक छ । त्यसका अलावामा मलाई लाग्छ, नयाँ बन्ने शौचालयहरूमा महिलाहरूले महिनावारी हुँदा प्रयोग गर्ने स्यानिटेरी प्याडको उचित व्यवस्थापन गर्ने सुविधा पनि हुन अति नै महत्वपुर्ण छ । यस्ता शौचालयहरू जेष्ठ नागरिक र अपाङ्गतामैत्री पनि हुनुपर्छ ।
पानी अनि स्वास्थ्य तथा सरसफाइको क्षेत्रमा यहाँ गर्नुपर्ने कुराहरू धेरै नै बाँकी छन् । गर्न सकिने र गर्नै पर्ने कुराहरू धेरै छन् । विद्यालयमा पानी पाइन्छ भनेर यहाँका अभिभावकहरूले घर फर्किँदा पानी लिएर आउनू है भनेर आफ्ना बच्चाहरूलाई जर्किन नै दिएर पठाउँछन् । सम्झिनुस् त, यहाँ पानीको कति हाहाकार छ भनेर ।”
शुशिला बोम शाही, सरस्वती मावि,पाताता-2, रडुनेटा
Pictured: Sushila Bom Shahi in front of Saraswati Seconday School