Dare to Stand out

        "It's rightly said that the crowd gives us the strength and confidence for sure BUT unfortunately it snatches our identity too". Mr.sanjaykumarsingh takes a long breath and says this with deep thought and calmness on his face.The glittering eyes behind glasses indicate it clearly that he didn't let his school to lose its identity.

  Mr. singh is a block teacher and had been the ex- headmaster of BansiPachra school.   Recently BansiPachra School has been awarded as the best school among 500 schools in the district for its untiring efforts and Excellency in promoting education, attendance,maintaining infrastructures,water sanitation facilities,cleanliness and overall management.But as an expected natural law;this didn't happen over the night and the journey was not so easy indeed.
It was interesting to note that this school came into existence in the year 1890 but unfortunately without basic amenities like water and sanitation. In absence of water sanitation facility, it was difficult to ensure regular attendance of the students,especially the adolescent girls during menstruation.The retention of female teachers was also next to impossible as they found it difficult to relive themselves in privacy.Running for more than twelve decades, a toilet was constructed in the year 2011 in this school with the support of PHED, Govt.of Bihar but without a running water facility for 500 students and 12 teachers. Instead of giving a solution to unavailability of water sanitation facilities this newly constructed toilet exacerbated the situation as it was not sufficient for 500 students and 12 teachers. The toilet used to become filthy only after 1-2 hours of everyday use. But these were only the tip of the problems,the uncleanliness and filthy surrounding was distracting the students hence instead of retaining the students this newly constructed facility compelled the students to leave the campus as early as possible.In addition to it, the adolescent girls were bullied and eve-teased by their male counterparts because of using the only available toilet as share by RinkiKumari, Class VII (name changed).
Mr.Sanjay singh was aware about the severity of problem and was looking for a solution until he came across Geeta Social Welfare & Development Foundation, a Civil Society Organization, working in the Tariyani Block of Sheohar district with the financial and programmatic support of ANNAI Trust. ANNAI Trust is the lead organization for the implementation of Sustainable WATSAN project in Sheohar district supported by Water for People.
As per the co-financing norm of Geeta Social welfare,the school also contributed one room for establishment of School Water sanitation facilities.But the representatives of Annai Trust as well as Geeta Social welfare and Development foundation had no doubt that sustainability of the water sanitation facilities can't be envisioned until and unless some awareness/ education programs on hygiene and proper Operation and Maintenance mechanism of the infrastructure is strategized. This resulted into formation of school WATSAN committees (consisting of 15 children: divided into water, sanitation and hygiene groups,each group having 5 members) and regular training and capacity building of these groups. Handholding supports were extended to these groups through disseminating the water sanitation and hygiene messages. And for operation and maintenance of sanitation facility; Nirmalbandhus (cleaners) were linked to this school. Right from the beginning all the 12 teachers in this school contribute their personal money to pay the Nirmalbandhu for the services rendered by him.
This joint efforts put together with pure spirit started showing result soon after the installation of water sanitation facility and education/ awareness programs. Some of the measurable indicators were:
    Increased overall daily attendance from 60% to 75 %. It increased by almost 25 % in case of girls (from 55% to 80 %) as per the school attendance register.
    The hygiene messages got translated from school to community
    The adolescent girls attended the schools with pride and dignity without forgoing their education. BansiPachra was awarded as the Best School among 500 schools of Sheohar for taking initiatives towards education, attendance, proper maintenance of infrastructure, hygiene & sanitation and overall management.

Reaching the unreached

     Shukhiya Paswan,a mother of two adolescent girls,seems to be contended enough as deep dimples form on her cheeks while she smiles with shyness. Her eyes resemble a history of struggling past and light of optimistic future together. It was in the year 2015 when Annai Trust conducted a Need Assessment of ward no.12 for installation of safe drinking water source.The findings of need assessment were bit disturbing which called for immediate action.

The major findings of the need assessment revealed that Paswantola is a tola ( hamlet ) of people who fall at lowest rungs of Indian Hindu hierarchy of caste system. Actually they are the Mahadalits who are normally deprived of social status are marginalized on several fronts. This community didn't have any potable water source. The community members were bound to fetch water from a pond located at a distance of 1 km away from their locality. The same pond was used for bathing and washing and hence it was obvious that they were bound to consume contaminated and polluted water.
The main water fetchers were the girls (adolescents) who were molested by the male members during their trips of water fetching. Since the mothers were busy in other household chores it was the responsibility of girls to fetch the water from far distance. Though there was a water point in adjacent hamlet but being lower in the social strata these people were not allowed to fetch water from that community. Since the males members kept migrating in urban areas and slums in search of employment opportunities,it was the females especially the adolescent girls who faced the brunt of this problem. Arriving late in the schools because of primarily disposing the responsibility of water fetching have been the nightmares to attain the schools hence most of them opted out of schooling.
Though there was no clear data on water related diseases but it was well accepted and frequently shared by this community that people fall sick very often here and the common problems include diarrhea, gastroenteritis, indigestion, fever etc.
Based on the need assessment of community ANNAI Trust installed a super water point in that community.The water point consisted of platform and proper drainage system to avoid any type of water contamination in future. The community got the availability and accessibility of safe drinking water within their community.But this didn't stopped here, in addition to installation of safe drinking water source, a group of 20 persons were formed and named as Water User Committee. This committee was trained on importance of safe drinking water, diseases caused due to unavailability of safe drinking water, how to ensure proper operation and maintenance of water points, how to manage the books of accounts, bank passbook etc. Additionally the groups were also extended handholding support in formalizing the tariff collection system and one Jalabandhu( water mechanic) was also linked with this water point for ensuring its operation and maintenance in future. This initiative helped the community members to have access to safe drinking water and encouraged girls to complete their education without any fear.

Great Voluntarism

    Mrs.Mochamary W/OPeter who is a flower vendor at Amburpatty village, Viralimalai block, Pudukottai district constructed a toilet for her house after ignition CLTS conducted by ANNAI. Later, she realized that her neighbors were not in a position to construct toilets and unable to invest initial fund for toilet construction. Since, she wanted her village, an open defecation free village, she gave loans to the tune of Rs.41,000/- to six more women in the village to enable construct toilets at their households. She is one of the active volunteers of ANNAI in reaching the goal of 100% sanitation in her village.

Installation of New Hand Pump

        In Bihar,Sheohar District has most vulnerable areas in the part of India. The people of Sheohar district have been struggling to get the safe drinking water in their area.Kamrauli village is located Ten kilometers away from North face of Sheohar. It's comes under the Piprahi

Block.The population around in this village nearly 910(Male 421& 489 Female). In this village already have five shallow hand pumps. But there was lack of safe drinking water f or a long time. During our ANNAI trust staff field visit, Mr. Nathinirayie, village community leader met our staff and requested about the hand pump drinking water facility. Our Community Mobiliser gets the application from the community people in this village. And she informed to her coordinator for baseline survey. On next day our coordinator visited Kamrauli village and discussed with area community people. He oriented about the clean water and hygiene details to the community people. Finally he told about the community participation in this installation of new water point. The community people together accept their contribution for water point plat-form and other micro expenses. The ANNAI trust first installed the new bore well in this village. This new bore well depth of 220 feet with India Mark-II hand pump and a hygienic platform with good shadow shed was constructed. The work has been implemented by ANNAI trust with financial support of Water for People. Nearly 208 beneficiaries are using this safe drinking water. The WATSAN committee formed in this village and they conducted their monthly meetings regularly for follow up, maintenance and sustainability.

Introduction

        Mrs. Amirtham Kuppusamy age 75, who are Residing at Maducarai village, Perumal Kovil Street, under Puducherry Union Territory. Her Husband passed away 4 years ago, she is living alone in a small hut.

Background

        She was born in Singagiri village in Pondicherry and she got married Mr. Kuppusamy at the age of 12, the couple was working as a agriculture labour, earlier she was working in a hospital for sometime as a assistant.

Amirtham Kuppusamy has son, daughters, grandson and great granddaughter, none of them is supporting her and she is living alone in the village. She is getting old age pension with help of that she is moving her life. Even till today she doesn't used any electrical tube lights, sophisticated items in her house. Still her house doesn't have electric connection, she doesn't have any awareness regarding toilet.

Stages before constructing toilet

        Earlier she used to walk more than 500 meters to thick forest area for open defection. She was facing a difficulty during that time. Earlier when she goes out for open defection she met an accident with the motor bike and she fell down and she got a fracture in the hip. Since then she started to use stick for walking. Her son rarely will give some financial support, she is getting old age pension of Rs. 3000 regularly and she moves her life with help of that pension.
We have conducted a meeting regarding toilet construction she attended in that meeting, when we asked will you able to construct individual toilet, she immediately refused and she said I am living alone and I don't need the toilet and we said you should need the toilet desperately because the accident happened because you went outside for open defection. Then our staff conducted her son and got the permission to construct the toilet under Puducherry govt scheme. All the sons are living in surrounding of Puducherry no one didn't come and visit the toilet during the work progress and after completed the toilet construction, she felt very distress regarding this.

Stages after construction toilet

        After completed the toilet construction she started to use the toilet immediately, then we met them and asked how you feel after constructed the toilet she said with a fiery eyes I am very happy and I got toilet with attached bathroom, I no need to go long for open defection. I could not more to talk, her expressions shows their happiness and she felt to achieve something big, why not yes we also agreed it is a big achievement and we also very happy.