As our village page has changed into new, to get used to these pages it will take some time for all of us here. But suggestively it has become easy for us to be very very specific in our tasks.

This particular task is about knowing about our village. As a first contribution, I would like you all to know it is situated in Nepal country of Asia Continent. A remote village situated near Kathmandu (capital of Nepal).

Now what else you can add on this about the village, please add on. We will see what more we can know about the village and about the situations for global help.

Post your Comments.

Warm Regards
Angelina

Dear Rewathi,

Can you please give details of the community and their need of help from the global community for the knowledge of our neighbours. This has already been done but sharing again about the community keeps the track going and neighbours participating more.

Warm Regards
Angelina

Dear Riwati,

I would like to help your village. I will look into the overview and see what we can do.

Best regards,

Junjun

Dear Rewati and Angelina (and Junjun!!)

Namaste

I have information on ways of dealing with urban waste as well as managing toilets as dry, composting processes. i am also in touch with an expert working on these matters in Vietnam.

The systems in question resolve many waste, including human waste, issues. Also providing excellent fertiliser for agriculture.

Can you tell me if you have the soldier fly [photo attached] locally?

This is a beneficial insect in the processes concerned.

sincerely

Dennis

soldier fly.jpg

Hello Rewati, Dennis and all other Neighbours,

I am the new Facilitator for Sikharpa. I have made changes in the Steps and Tasks and I invite you all to make a contribution to one or more of them! :-D

Dennis, I do not know if the fly you speak of is there in Sikharpa, that is something Rewati might be able to tell you.

But we are certainly interested in the resources you speak of. Can you tell us more?

I will be away for 2.5 weeks for a trip to India. In the meantime Romina Oliverio (romina@nabuur.com) will take over my duties. Rewati is also available for any questions you have about the project. I will be back on september 25th and hopefully I can close of a Task or two and post a result!

To all of you Neighbours, if you come across a result.....you can post it on our results-page!

Bye for now

Claudia Vijge

Dear Rewati - and Claudia and Romina and all

Namaste

Rewati, I see your qualifications and commitment to the project, which is wonderful.

I am attaching a file containing a paper written about reforming wast management in VietNam

You are clearly qualified to consider this paper. Questions are:
[1] does the soldier fly exist in your climate? Note that it is not a vector for pathogens
[2] can the pahari collect urban waste
[3] the products of the waste reduction system are, as I understand, some material of value for agriculture, and a considerable volume of larvae - these are described as of greater value than fishmeal. I see from your notes that the pahari are not vegetarian. The larvae may be high protein food for chickens and ducks (also fish - are fish farmed?)

Paul Olivier's paper (Attached) has his email address at the end... he seems to answer emails instantly. I am happy to communicate with him, but you might like to do that directly.

best wishes

Dennis

Scavengers.pdf

Dear Dennis,

Thank you for your contribution. I am going to reply your Questions.
(1) I do not think so, the soldier did not fly exist in
over the village's climate.
(2) Yes, the Pahari can collect urban (village) waste.
(3) Yes, I agree with your understand, some material of
value for agriculture, and a considerable volume of
larvae - these are described as of greater value than
fishmeal. Yes, The pahari are not vegetarian.

I save Paul Olivier's paper and I will study the paper. :lol:

Regards,
Rewati

Thank you for that advice. Rewati. Paul's paper is really specifically linked to that fly. We must look to other ways forward.

best wishes

Dennis

Dear Dennis,

You are welcome. I thaink now we have to search experties for to make a project proposal for funding agencies. What do you think ?

Regards,

Rewati

Dear Rewati

Finding a project definition depends on finding the key and the key is in the local community.

In the hygiene discussion we have covered a number of possible means of explaining things, a huge number of things that could be covered, but it is not for us out here to begin to know what may be the path that interests people.

The path to Manasarovar means many things to many people. Nobody outside, where I am, can say what is the right target/start point/concern. We need to know what the people themselves say.

Otherwise, the project work will run down to the Ganga and Bangla and vanish.

best wishes

Dennis

Dear Dennis Argall,

I am fully agree with your ideas. I am doing regular interaction with Sikharpa people. They all are feeling poor hygiene and sanitation is big problems for health. So they wants to do improve the conditions. They also agree to do some contribution for this program. I always encourage them to do something for their village.

Actually they are poor and unable to expense to latrine construction. But they agreeto do unskilled labour work for latrine construction. I think nowadays awareness is increasing day by day. They feel poor hygiene habits is big enemy for health. In the begining outsider have to run latrine building as well as awareness program. Then villagers agreed to take responsibilities of maintaince of latrines. They are aware to sustainability of the program

Regards,
Rewati

I think you have a great project in your hands and I will try my best to support you as far as my experience can help.

Just to start with, as I did not see it in the village presentation, how many people/families are living in the village? And a practical question: do people sit or squat?

Latrine is a tiny house with roof, walls, floor and a pit. But a VIP Latrine (a ventilated improved pit latrine) is I believe the minimum you should aim for. A VIP latrine includes a ventilation pipe that keeps bad odors away from the latrine itself (so people still want to use it) and most importantly keep flies away. I am sure you are well aware of how flies are involved in the propagation of diarrheal diseases. A VIP latrine offers a barrier to flies.

I do not want to go in too much details at this point, but here is an interesting website about latrines : http://www.sanplat.com/

I had good experience with self-help programs. Self-help meaning there is a high contribution from beneficiaries. In my experience, the beneficiaries were digging the pit, providing stones for foundation, helping the mason to make the foundation and installing the slab, building by themselves the walls and installing the roof (we provide the iron sheet). This was done in several steps. A technical person was controlling at different times 1) that the pit is ready with adequate size (not too small and not too large either) 2) that the superstructure is adequate and provides intimacy and “relative darkness” inside (essential for a VIP latrine) and 3) that the ventilation pipe is installed properly with a mesh wire to its end (to trap flies).

However, I strongly recommend to run the health campaign prior to construction. It rises the interest and people start to see the benefits of the latrine rather than the building itself. They will be more likely to maintain it properly from the start: it is always much more difficult to change behavior afterwards.

There is also a possibility as it was discussed with other neighbors to use the latrine to produce manure. Is this socially acceptable in your area? It is widely used in Vietnam. Done in a proper way, it brings some benefits for agriculture. Going in this option would involve a complete different design (two pits and a removable superstructure for instance).

Flooding – From the photos, this does not seem to be a real problem, but if there are some latrines going to be built in an area subject to potential flooding, it is important to know it. The design will be different.

Micro-credit – There is a possibility with such project to start a micro-enterprise of slab production plant. This can provide 2 to 4 jobs. It also opens the door for other types of funding.

Let’s keep it here for today. But I just wanted to share with our neighbors the results of one evaluation made on VIP latrines in Nepal: “Comparison of diarrhoeal rates before and after latrine construction show a peak average rate of 6.6 diarrhoea cases per 100 between Dec. 1992-March 1993 (pre-construction), which fell to 3.5 diarrhoea cases per 100 for the same period following construction. User survey (n=186) indicates that 83 per cent felt there was 'no or little smell in the latrine'. Only 4 per cent said the latrine was 'very smelly'. So in terms of health improvement, it is really worth it!

Martin

I will try to keep it short in this one! I just wanted to provide you with a Technical Brief about the VIP latrine made by Practical Action (see file attached). I would not necessarily make this particular design in your area, but this would need to be adapted to the local conditions. (By the way, this organization is also active in Nepal see http://practicalaction.org/?id=region_nepal_areas ).

If you want to have an overview of all the technical options that are available (with their pros or cons), I would refer you to the World Health Organization 10-page document under: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/settings/hvchap4.pdf

I am here to help, but it would be ideal to involve the community members directly in choosing the best option corresponding to their needs and preferences. Before going into a mass production, the best is to have a demonstration project. Some questions to ask are: what are their experience with latrines they have used elsewhere? What did they like/dislike? What would need to be improved for them to have what they believe is a “good” latrine?

What are the construction materials locally available (and that families can contribute)?

A crucial point is the soil conditions: this will impact on the lining required in the pit. Do you have any information? Or photos?

Does the local school have latrines for the children? How is it maintained or how does not having a latrine does impact on school attendance (especially for girls)?

Did I say I would try to keep it short? ;) Hummm… So I will keep it here for now.

Best,

Martin

vip_latrines.pdf

Dear Martin

How wonderful that we have your company. I will read all your contributions carefully and await Rewati's comment - I just wanted to add that we have a 'composting toilet' from which we recover aged compost of a very healthy kind for agricultural benefit. Safe, practical, easy to build, easy to maintain if you look to some key issues of use and hygiene practices.

The points of intervention in hygiene education and living practices are critical.

best wishes

Dennis

Dear Martin and Dennis,

Thank you for your good contributions. I am not proposing VIP latrine, I am proposing simple pit latrine but two pit type. This simple pit latrine was already design. This simple two pit type latrine was design by a group of Ebgineer of EWB/Nepal for Sikharpa village Nepal.

Martin mention "From the photos, this does not seem to be a real problem" it is not true. Because we can not say that not real problems in the village by photos. I did the study of the Sikharpa village during my dissertation of Masters degree. I found the real problems in hygiene and sanitation.A group of Engineer of EWB/Nepal also visited the Sikharpa village and they also see the village condition.

Community people are redy to do contribution un skilled labour, e.g. caring the stone, digging the pit,etc. We can use locally availabl materials, e.g. stone, soil, wooden, roda/gitty. But we have bue sand, cement,slab, zinc sheet, hook and nail. iron sheet, etc.

Yes, I am agree to run the health campaign prior to construction. I am a health personal and I realised the awareness program plays a vital role in to sustainability in community development. I think awareness is the key points.

In the Sukharpa village there are aroubd 200 house holds and around 1200 - 1500 peoples are living. There is no toilets in local primary school. Childres are using a open ground as a latrines.

Regards,
Rewati