Tag: sanitation

Importance of hydration, water and sanitation initiated by Coca-Cola , TERI University and USAID

Posted on by Aziz Ampanwala

Water, as soon as we spell it we feel life, vitality, eternity, sanctity and all positive vibes following around us. Life without water is very much unimaginable, water works wonder and proves magical only when it is in its purest forms – the form in which the creator created it, in the sense as pure as the water from a mountain spring or as water flowing down deep the oceans, that form of water is the one which bears all properties of pure water, but sadly the same water can work as the breeding ground for thousand of germs and viruses when it gets contaminated and polluted, thus shattering growth, hindering life and causing infinite diseases.

Some important pointer towards why water hydration and sanitation is important for families and society:

1) Will decrease the chances of diseases which develop in and under water
2) Proper Sanitation and disposal of waste will ensure a healthy and eco friendly society to live in.
3) Globally, an estimated 2,000 children under the age of five die every day from diarrhoeal diseases and of these some 1,800 deaths are linked to water, sanitation and hygiene as per Unicef reports, which is an alarming signal thou if proper sanitation is maintained in society this can be avoid or removed completed.
4) Educating children about the importance of water hydration and sanitation from early age in schools and social gathering will only lead forward towards a healthy living environment as they are the future torch bearing of the learning and understanding towards the same.

At this stage it is very much necessary to bring this water to its very original and pure form using whatever ways of filtration and hydration possible so as the society can remain healthy, revitalized and rejuvenated by the benefits of water and in this campaign TERI University and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in association with Coca-Cola and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)  conducted  the ‘Strengthening Water and Sanitation in Urban Settings” initiative in Kolkata. The WASH programmes (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) aim to reach 50,000 beneficiaries in low-income settlements and over 300 professionals through WASH governance studies. It will also reach out to 2,500 students through 20 municipal schools across India, this is one of a kind association which has never been done before that will lead to the healthy development of low income settlements in the area.

Collaboration for Wash Programmes in association with Coca-Cola, TERI University and USAID Collaboration for Wash Programmes in association with Coca-Cola, TERI University and USAID 2

The goal is to help achieve the Government of India’s sanitation targets by conducting a WASH risk analysis in slums of Kolkata and Chennai. As first steps, two urban neighbourhoods – Kannagi Nagar and Nedunchelliyan Nagar in Chennai, and areas in KMC wards 57 and 58 (Khayari basti, Arupota and Dhapa) in Kolkata – have been chosen for household surveys.

 The project will assist in developing participatory intervention strategies in urban areas, and in building the capacity of faculty and students through a model sanitation curriculum.

To understand more about the initiative please visit their page “Strengthening Water and Sanitation in Urban Settings”.

Banega Swachh India – A Mission for Cleaner India

Posted on by Aziz Ampanwala

About the Campaign: “Banega Swachh India”

RB Group (formerly called Reckitt Benckiser) has  initiated a campaign “Dettol – Banega Swachh India” with a 100 crore fund infusion and  5 year Mission to spread the message of sanitation and hygiene through partnering with  TV media  NDTV and social media platform facebook  to educate people across the country about the message of sanitation and hygiene, they have joined hands with knowledge partners Feedback Foundation for this campaign.

 What is the Initiative based on:

Swachh Bharat Abyaan, a intiative by the present government and Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi to spread the message across the nation about basic sanitation, hygiene and setting up of toilets for people who do not have facility in their own premises or slums/cluster to build/construct toilets with the help of government run schemes, policies and awareness.

Facts:

India is a vast country and there are many states, cities, towns and villages so it gets difficult to spread the message across in each and every corner for any public related curriculum/message to be voiced across equally.

The Swachh Express

The Swachh Express was on a mission to give voice to the message across 400 villages which is spread across 8 states which included Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, MP and Maharashtra. The objective of the bus was to create awareness around hygiene and sanitation through interactive videos, flyer distributions, posters, hand-washing sessions and street plays.

As a part of the campaign folks at indiblogger presented me the opportunity to be a part of the Swachh Express campaign which I accepted gladly and joined the Swachh Express & NDTV media team in the ending phase of the campaign, Sharing my experience, views on the same.

The Campaign Chronicle

 Part: 1 – Dahisar – Mumbai

There are cluster of slums in and around the Dahisar stretch and we visited one of the them with the help and support of local Co-operator. After we reached the slums, we saw that many people were noticing the SWACHH EXPRESS BUS and were curious about what was going on, we all tried our bit to make them comfortable and went on to explain them to come and know about the SWACHH BANEGA India campaign and how it is related to everyone of us. One by one people started to gather and a message across the slum was floated to which many came to attend what we had to convey them

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Mr. Vinod Kumar Pathak of feedback foundation started speaking and educating people about the message of Banega  Swachh India campaign and why cleanliness, basic hygiene such has hand washing, personal sanitation and toilets within the slum/premises are essential for eliminating major diseases and for a better and cleaner tomorrow.

People started to take more interest in his speech and how he was putting the message forward, why defecate in open is effecting them and why is there a need for proper sanitation and toilets, to which they also interacted and asked many question and shared their grievances, some of the major issues were:

  1. Lack of knowledge and know how on about constructing toilets in a cost effective budget
  2. No place for constructing toilets
  3. No major help from the Nagar Palika (Local body administration)
  4. No real initiative or campaign before this about such topics in their area/locality.

To which Mr. Pathak explained them one by one what can be the solutions and how they can make things work within their budget to build toilets and have proper sanitation measures, the former local Co-operator also joined in to explain them patiently and made them understand what Mr. Pathak was conveying them,  some of the pointer were:

  1. If there is unity within the slum for sanitation and building toilets, then the Nagar Palika shall help in with space.
  2. If Nagar Palika is not aware of the poor state of sanitation and hygiene in the area, make them aware about it.
  3. Charity begins at home, so unite and collect enough to start initiating for a toilet in your slum at every juntion; there should be an agenda that no one goes out in the open for defecating.IMG_2299

Overall people went back home happy and contained  with a sense and knowledge of sanitation, hygiene  and importance of why build toilets and why defecating will only build up to the problems and spread diseases.

Part: 2 – Shivaji Nagar, Baianwadi – Waste Dumping Ground  (Govandi) – Mumbai

 It was daylong nationwide event-  part of cleanathon and what better place to spread the message across, WE went early in the morning at Mumbai’s oldest  dumping ground at  Shivaji Nagar, Baianwadi  , the team(NDTV and Swachh Express)  had asked  children from Magic bus Foundation to join and share their experience and spread the message across as it was recording live.

IMG-20141215-WA0015                           IMG-20141215-WA0012IMG-20141215-WA0007

Impact Area – Magic Bus : Health and Hygiene (Extract from https://www.magicbus.org/impact)

  1. By the time a Magic Bus child finishes his or her first year, she or he starts exhibiting a high degree of health-related knowledge, beliefs and practices.
  2. 77.52% of children at Magic Bus follow good practices related to personal hygiene including hand washing, brushing, bathing and cutting nails. (Study 1 )
  3. 100% of the sample selected of Magic Bus children who graduate from our programme believe:
  • That open defecation is a major health hazard. (This is significant especially in light of the fact that 60% of Indians still defecate in the open. (Study 3)
  • That substance abuse (including smoking cigarettes) is harmful. (Study 3)
  • That playing sports is crucial to maintaining a healthy mind and body. (Study 3)IMG-20141215-WA0014

My Experience/take on Campaign :

The Swachh Express is a positive initiative and it’s bringing positive change in the mindset towards sanitation, hygiene and other grey areas and I have seen it in the campaign itself, people initially do lash out as they are frustrated but if they are educated well they do corporate and help in spreading the word and try to accept and build upon a change because hygiene and sanitation is something related to you me and all.

Special Thanks to the NDTV crew members – Saurabh Khanna, cordinator and briefing, Manoj Kumar administration, Sanjay Kaushik  behind the lens, Balbir and Kuldeep, the drivers  and Mr. Vinod  Pathak of Feedback Foundation who were very cooperative throughout my trip.

To know more about the campaign and other details : click here – Banega Swachh India