PRADAN, in association with water.org, today launched the second phase of SWACHH (Supporting Women to Advance Cleanliness and Hygiene in Households) project in Jharkhand, which is to be implemented with 70,000 households in 10 districts of 3 regions (South and North Chotanagpur and Santhal Paragna) for a period of next two years. In the first phase, this project was piloted in Torpa, Gumla, Poraiyahat, Peterwar and Shikaripara blocks of Jharkhand respectively wherein 25,000 households were targeted to have access to these basic WASH facilities.
Through a consolidated effort of PRADAN with water.org the results achieved were remarkable and targets were met in a successful manner. It is worthy of mentioning here that the WASH practices clearly align with the 6th Goal of SDGs and hence it was an important initiative with the community. Under this pilot, the communities were enabled to access hygienic sanitation facilities (toilets constructed/ repaired) and provision of clean filtered drinking water. For this venture necessary plan has been developed and processed through CLF ( Cluster Level Federation) allign with concerned PRIs for accessing loans were provided to people so that they are sensitized and go in for practicing healthy WASH practices.
Presently, with the commencement of 2nd phase, a target of 75,000 households have been set, who can access WASH facilities. On this eve, representatives from the respective 5 blocks also marked their presence and shared their views. They talked about the challenges that they faced earlier when toilets were not at homes. A constant fear hovered on them of being molested with or some other issue. But now with intervention of PRADAN, this has come to them as a God’s gift and now their time is also saved and they are out of menace.
To grace the occasion, representatives Md. Azad, (Dept of Water & Sanitation, GOJ) , Josh, (water.org), Baladevi (PRADAN) , Ajit Singh, (Director VISWA), Indra Deo Mandal (Joint Secretary, Water and Sanitation Dept,GOJ), Subodh Kumar (DGM, Bank of India), Manas Satpathy (PRADAN), Bishnu Parida(JSLPS) , Prof. Ramesh Sharan (Ex Vice Chancellor, Vinoba Bhave Univ) and Sanjay Kumar Pandey (UNICEF) marked their presence, shared their views, future prospect and motivated the audience. Prof Ramesh Sharan shared the critical role of CSOs in mentoring the CBOs and PRIs members for exploring & accessing sanitation and clean drinking water.
The Didis and members from the SHGs/VOs of the said blocks not only shared their experiences but also elaborated how PRADAN had proactively helped them ground this pertinent issue within the communities and set the preparatory ground. The PRI representative Rani Murmu ( Mukhia) from Peterwar suggested to conduct workshop at block level too in campaign mode. The mentoring support from PRADAN and the facilitation support from JSLPS, Banks helped the SHGs create a successful model at ground. Under this venture the SHG/ VOs/ PRIs members are been facilitated in accessing loans from JSLPS/ Banks in establishing new toilets or undertaking improvement of old ones and exploring the opportunity for clean drinking water.
Vote of thanks was given by Sukanta Sarkar from PRADAN. He shared that it is an opportunity for all of us (PRIs, CSOs, Line departments, UNICEF, Banks) to come together and put our effort for better outreach, prospect and impact.
