Resources / Working with Women’s Groups and Children in WilgodaPura for Hygiene and Environmental Sanitation

Summary

An example of successful outcomes from forming women's and children's groups to create hygiene awareness and lower the pollution of the canals.

Full text

The Wilgoda community, in Sri Lanka, was identified as one of the main contributors to the pollution of the canals. Therefore, a vision and many related activities were identified to address and upgrade their current sanitations and hygiene behaviour. Small groups of women and children were created in order to create awareness and to develop good hygiene practices among them.

The women meetings were conducted with the presence of the female staff members of the WASPA team. These informal discussion sessions are made use to transfer knowledge to improve their existing hygiene practices, clarify their doubts and to be aware of specific problems that they face due to lack of proper sanitary education and facilities. It appeared that the women were aware of basic good practices but admitted that they generally did not practice hygiene behaviour in their everyday life.

Meanwhile, attempts were being made to gather the children of Wilgodapura to form a society so that the hygiene and sanitation related messages can be disseminated from there. Even though most of them were not particularly interested in education about sanitation, the participation was satisfactory.

To enhance the sustainability of the initiatives undertaken by WASPA steps were taken to form a children's society in Wilgoda. Children who seemed to be responsible and active were appointed as officer of the organisation. The appointed leaders proved to be very resourceful and encouraging in gathering and controlling children for meetings. When this society gathered, they played games, presented songs and dramas. It was observed that children are interested in doing activities that are enjoyable such as games rather than listening to a speech on good hygiene practices. Once again, it appeared that they were well aware of hygiene practices but they admitted that they rarely followed them.

The team organised various activities with the women, such as visiting their house to evaluating their hygiene practices. Moreover, it put emphasis that in order to provide the children with a better environment to continue their education it is vital to pay attention to their cleanliness and hygiene.

WASPA team also created "The Green House Concept" which will eventually be a competition among the residents. The keys elements to make their house green were: standard hygiene and sanitation practices and home gardening. Their houses should be environment friendly and household members also should practice good hygiene behaviour. The best home gardening would be awarded a plaque.

The principal of the school extended an invitation to the project team to conduct a seminar on good hygiene and sanitation behaviour due to the reputation gained by working with the Wilgodapura community. The program received enthusiastic responses from the children and the teachers.

The Community of Wilgodapura has long suffered the alienation of the majority due reasons of low income, occupation and illiteracy. Through WASPA, most of them were able to change their lives for better even in small sense.

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