Human Success Story
The “Community Led Total Sanitation program under UNICEF which facilitated by South Ranogga Community Association has improved me as a facilitator to see the essential of having proper toilets for my community here in Ranogga Island as a whole. I would like to acknowledge the presence of UNICEF here in Solomon Islands and support us with a timely assistance to mitigate the urgency of a problem of sanitation and hygiene in our communities.
Introduction
The National Sustainable Sanitation Plan program is a national tragedy plan that the government take the initiative to improve the services delivery on National level, provincial level even down to the rural communities on the area sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors within the communities at large. It is a total member involvement which I used an approach called Community Led Total Sanitation to enter the communities by pre-triggering and triggering and making survey and do follow up by monitoring them to be NOD.
Issues
Generally speaking that I am convince by the training conduct by the ADRA which support by the UNICEF at Kukudu few months ago, on the issues raises concern of communities on sanitation and hygiene practices, if not properly address at that level. It will causes more problem related to sick diahorrea on young children and even older people too. Therefore, some of the key challenges which I have come across during our visitation on these communities in Ranogga Island. First, cultures and traditional values can be a real
issue to us in conducting the pre-triggering and triggering program, because most of these communities value respect in their villages. And for instance, openly mention the word shit is
disrespect to them, and so this is one of the challenging issues we have come across. Also during the triggering a question on no subsidy will be given by the communities which raise more questions and doubts to the people and even complaining. But as a facilitators I explain the approach carefully so that they can understand it well. However, I try my very best to hold the sanitation and hygiene approach together and advocate for the essential of continuing the non-subsidy approach for sustainable sanitation in Solomon Islands are well presented to the communities.
Action
The UNICEF were instrumental in supporting the RWASH to promote the CLTS program initiated by implementing the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan (NSSP).The inclusion of ECD-WASH program in Western Province mainly in Ranogga Island gives more support to achieve the universal goal by 2030. The arrival of Mr. Tai Ring TEH, the CLTS Specialist and Ms. Abigal Tevera, WASH Specialist has bring more new insight and knowledge on sanitation and hygiene practices despite the restriction on covid-19 in our country Solomon Islands. Both have prove themselves to be much needed technical support and leadership to assist the Solomon Islands Government and the citizen to reach the target goal set for sanitation in the Ministry of Health & Medical Services strategic plan. In collaborating closely with Mr. Tai Ring Teh, UNICEF Specialist I will help to mitigate the issues and challenges that have affecting the sustainable sanitation in the country and updating CLTS training toolkit to standardize the CLTS facilitator for SRCA training methodology. Also it will help us a team to improve other areas that we have not understand during the process of addressing the issue on sanitation and hygiene in the future at large.
Impact
The UNICEF has impacted my general knowledge and skills in addressing the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan for me as one of the SRCA facilitator which I conduct the CLTS Training that really expanded the sector capacity. Also UNICEF assistance on CLTS capacity building helped me to strengthening the coordination and partnership with CLTS Implementers and the stakeholders and other NGOs. I find it interesting when I worked together implementing the RWASH CLTS programs in
Ranogga Island, and organizing the coordination meetings and training with the communities.
One of the highlights that I can vividly remembered during my training at Kukudu from May 23th -27th is the shit mapping concept presenting by Nathaniel Salini our master trainer, which he viewed a short clip at Barana Communities that convince me to be like that person who conduct the presentation. On our return from Kukudu after training, I desire to be like that person who conduct the training, during our first visit at 3 villages I do observe as one of the facilitators get his chance in conducting the map shit, then later in Patu and Koriovuku I conduct the shit mapping which gives me more courage and confidence to do more even better next time. However, despite challenges we faced at the beginning of the triggering event, we were able to convince the villagers to start building toilets for themselves and use the toilet to end open defecation practices as they now understand this is important for them and their children. This was something I am proud of as I am giving some children a better life for their future.
Conclusion
Working as a facilitator for South Ranogga Community Association as of May 2022, I find it personally that CLTS is very important for the people of Solomon Islands and for me as well since we adopt the program later in 2009. This is because majority of the communities do not have proper household toilets in their homes while depend much on the national government or the NGO’s for the handouts to be issued. However, I think it is right time that individual take some initiative to come up with their own toilets so that they can value what they own and take ownership on something they have spent money on. While this will pass on to their own children down the history.
This human success story is prepared by Mr. Jason Hazo Boso, SRCA Facilitator, Buri Village, Ranogga Island, Solomon Islands.
South Ranogga Community Association
ranongga.org 