MISSION EAST

Providing clean water and sanitation and promoting better hygiene and sanitary practices for at-risk border communities in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Water systems are provided to remote border villages andschools in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

The first step is to construct gravity water flow schemes and reservoirs, applying SPHERE quality standards and ensuring maintenance of the water systems through:

• establishment and training of water user committees in each village
• training of maintenance technicians in each village, to manage and maintain the water systems, overseen either by the local village organization or the newly-established user committees.

Secondly, latrines are built for improved household and public sanitation. Latrines and handwashing facilities are currently being built at public meeting points such as schools, mosques and a hospital. In addition to tried-and-tested ventilated pit latrines, the project introduces the communities to bio-latrines. Again, SPHERE standards are the quality benchmark.

DSC_0089Thirdly, knowledge of health and hygiene practices is improved through promotion sessions and distribution of example hygiene kits. Hygiene and sanitation training material adapted to the Tajik experience has been developed for children and communities. Members of village health groups and school teachers have been trained to use these materials and in turn train their fellow villagers or school pupils in hygiene practices. Awareness-raising training sessions in villages and schools have taken place. Further community and school education activities are planned to ensure internalization of the message.

Fourthly, the plan is to improve the exchange of knowledge and information on different approaches to hygiene promotion and community-based use and management of water and sanitation infrastructure between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Cross-border visits by both the technical staff and the health workers have taken place. This has included an exchange orf knowledge exchange and sharing of information, best practices and lessons learned. All of this learning takes place within both the geographical and socio/religious framework of each location.