Falduk, Ward 7 of Bahrabise Municipality (Former Ghumtang VDC) which is geographically remote and less developed. 58 households (301 family members) live there.
Before the project started, most of them were unaware of the importance of safe drinking water and community led sanitation. They used to consume water available from local streams called Devithan. The community people did not know whether it was safe or not. In the rainy seasons, the water sources are usually contaminated by floods in rainy seasons and leaves, animal feces in dry. However, community people did not have other options except using the same water. They were not aware of potential health implications and water purification.
Apart from this, it proved difficult in the past to sensitize the community on the advantages of community led sanitation and preservation of water resources as they did not take up initiatives of the government and local NGOs due to cultural barriers, etc. The government had provided them with the construction of a water reservoir tank and drinking water pipelines to households but these were damaged during the earthquake and following tremors / landslides in May 2015.
With the project intervention in support with Johanniter International Assistance under the “Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and WASH Project”, the target community was mobilized to address the needs caused by scarce drinking water and community led sanitation initiatives providing 2000 meter long drinking water pipeline. They were encouraged and mobilized to rebuild the destroyed reservoir tank and infrastructure of the local drinking water system by themselves and thereby strengthening their self-help capacities. They contributed labor to rehabilitate the pipeline from Kaduche to Phaltuk, prepared the foundation of the reservoir tank to rebuild and fencing it for safety purpose.
GMSP sensitized the community on topics such as safe drinking water management, water purification process (Solar water disinfection, SoDis; chlorine), steps of hand washing, and awareness on water borne disease and negative result of open defecation through regular group discussions mass mobilization campaigns on the occasion of special days such as World Water Day, World Toilet Day, Hand Washing Day, etc
Due to the support provided by the Johanniter International Assistance together with GMSP and the engagement of the local community to rehabilitate the reservoir tank and the drinking water pipeline supply, the self-help capacities of the communities were strengthened and made them more aware on water and sanitation related issues. They started rebuilding the destroyed drinking water system infrastructure themselves and keep the community clean.
Furwasang Tamang (28 years old) of the local youth club chairperson says that the hand washing campaign in his community made him realize the significance of personal hygiene and sanitation despite scarce water resources. “This campaign and the engagement of GMSP and Johanniter educated us to think deeply about the saying ‘Health is Wealth’ and that it is only possible when we have access to safe drinking water. Now, we all community people have been made aware on the significance of community led sanitation and saving water in day to day consumption. We feel we are out of water borne communicable disease as we all get clean and safe water.“
Likewise, Maya Tamang (52 years old; housewife) says that she does not have go far to fetch out water early in the morning. “Now have door to door drinking water facility at home. It has reduced our time to fetch water so that we have more time for animals and agriculture. It has changed our life."