In the Rural Municipality of Mudkechula, in the district of Dolpa, the Ward-6 chair-person Mr. Narendra B Shahi, Malika Secondary school assistant head teacher Gyanendra Shahi,
Ward-6 Female Community Health Volunteer, FCHV, Dharma Shahi, WASH coordinator Sunil BK, ANM Srijana Shaji, Vice-chairperson Dudha Rokaya and SUSWA WASH Advisor currently working in Mudkechula, Raj Kumar DC, got together and discussed the World Toilet Day and current sanitation situation in Mudkechula. The program was broadcast on Mudkechula FM 19.11.22 but can also be listened to here:
A brief summary in English can be read below:
Palika (municipality): Mudkechula RM
Ward-6, chair-person Mr. Narendra B Shahi:
Toilets have been constructed in the past but are now in need of repair and improvement.
Coordinated efforts are required. Suggests washing hands with soap after using toilets. Everyone has an important role for better health and hygiene.
Malika Secondary school, Gyanendra Shahi, teacher. Assistant head
teacher:
There is water and there are two toilets, but they are in need of repair and maintenance.
There are 300 students. We would like to request to the nearest wards for support. There is a need to teach the students from a young age and proper taps are required. The school has been providing sanitary pads for girls. Schools should be proactive and should take the lead role which will have a
positive impact to the communities as well. There are 13 schools here and there are some agencies supporting for school WASH.
FCHV Dharma Shahi, ward-6:
As FCHV, I teach about hand washing with soap at critical times. There are some mothers not having proper hygiene habits and I teach them to wash their hands at critical times.
SUSWA Advisor, Raj Kumar DC:
The SUSWA baseline reveals that 17% of households in Dolpa don’t have toilets. In Mudkechula 9% of households don’t have toilets. There is a need to have intensive interventions for sanitation. Need to have awareness raising, having proper policies and strategies. Though Nepal has been declared as ODF, there is lot to do for improved toilets, hygiene use, safe water is essentially important and environmental sanitation as well.
There is lot do to achieve the target for total sanitation and I would like to extend the best efforts from the side of all people from the Palika. SUSWA will work for the period of 5 years at the Palika level and will
support the local government with the capacity. The interventions will be rolled out with the lead of the Palika.
Sunil BK, WASH coordinator, SUSWA project:
Currently there are 4 Drinking Water Schemes and institutional toilets at the school as well.
Together with the local government, SUSWA will support for building the capacity of the local government officials and local government representatives. Hand washing will be focused with provisioning of the cleansing agent materials. SUSWA works for water supply, sanitation and GEDSI and lay due focus for WASH governance.
Srijana Shahi, Ward-6 ANM:
During summer people use the unsafe water. There are some concerns on the part of the people not using toilets and not having hygienic use of the toilets. If there is no proper use of the toilets, there is likely to have coliforms and will cause the diarrheal disease as well. The sharing and interaction with the mother’s group is done at the ward level.
Duda Rokaya, vice chairperson, Ward-6:
There was problem in the past but now people are constructing toilets. Now the awareness has been increased on the part of the people.
