Hygienic and Healthful Living HHL A Disability Inclusive

Hygienic and Healthful Living (HHL) (A Disability Inclusive Sanitation Initiative) Implemented by Jan Vikas Samiti In collaboration with Fakirana Sisters Society and Sacred Heart Sisters Training School, India

About HHL… The overall concept of ‘Hygienic and Healthful Living’ is centred on infusing the recognition of sanitation needs of persons with disability in the existing sanitation programme Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA)’ of Government of India in the proposed area. The project is to support and expand the reach of SBA to persons with disability’s households. The project has also worked as accessibility consultant for SBA in the chosen area of implementation. This is to support and increase the effectiveness of the existing program and most importantly to make it inclusive.

Geographical area of the project

Uniqueness of HHL The uniqueness about this work is to succeeding the sanitation facility for people with disabilities in those areas where the reach of even general sanitation needs were not recognized till the time this project was being initiated. In principles one should apply the guidelines of universal design to make a building and its component accessible for all but here in the project implementation area we focused on the principle of RECU i. e; Reach, Enter, Circulate and Use. It is not based on true measurement of universal design. It is tailor made as per the requirement of people with disabilities and the context.

Uniqueness of HHL Planning of the modification/ construction was done as per the activity limitation of the individual and that too was in consultation with the person.

Methods… q Orientation and awareness for the involved key stakeholders q Survey of people with disabilities and schools with specific focus on sanitation facilities and hygiene q Assessment of individual households for availability of appropriate toilets q Formation of Village Sanitation Monitoring Committees (VSMCs) q Lobby and advocacy by DPOs and VSMCs with concerned government departments q Access audits of households and schools toilets q Through PPP model, construction of new (accessible) IHHLs & modification (for accessibility) of existing IHHLs for persons with disability (Pw. D) with financial support of government departments q Modification (for accessibility) of existing toilets in selected schools

Results… • 33 individual household latrines (IHHLs) were constructed in the households of Persons with disability (Pw. D) of 30 villages of East & West Champaran districts of Bihar by mobilizing the people under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA-Garmin) Successfully covering 34 families of persons with disabilities (20 males & 14 females) and their 162 household/family members • 10 new IHHLs were constructed in the households of persons with multiple disabilities (Pw. D) as per their needs and physical movement with the financial support of HHL project covering 13 persons with disabilities (09 males & 04 females) and their 41 household/family members

Results… • 07 IHHLs of persons with disability Pw. D) were modified with financial support of HHL project as per their needs and situations to make their access easy and without least support covering 07 persons with disability (6 males & 01 female) and their 42 household/family members. • Out of 33 IHHLs constructed under SBA-Garmin in both the districts, 20 households of persons with disability (Pw. D) accessed/received their rights/entitlements as “incentive money” from the public health engineering department (PHED) of East & West Champaran districts of Bihar

Results… • 10 toilets of primary & middle schools of Majhaulia and Sugauli blocks of West & East Champaran districts modified as per the needs of children with disability (Cw. Ds) 170 children with disability (Cw. Ds) of which 109 boys & 61 girls are now accessing their sanitation facilities in their school in hygienic manner.

Challenges… • One of major challenge was to make the community convince to have a toilet first then secondly, to make it accessible and user friendly. • Limited space for construction/modification. • Limited allocation of funds under government schemes for the construction of individual house hold latrines and also school toilets.

Challenges… • Non-internalization of the importance of sanitation in the community • Limited involvement of the community for the lobby and advocacy

Concluding note… With a purpose to contribute to the global goal of universal access to WASH, the project through a CBR approach created conditions for attitudinal change for families, communities, school and concerned government officials to recognize sanitation needs of persons with disabilities and through PPP model has also constructed model toilets in remote villages of Champaran Districts of Bihar. The micro strategy for the sustainability of the project is to stimulate the parents of children with disabilities, SHG/DPO members and village leaders to form a Village Sanitation Monitoring Committee (VSMC) to ensure regular use and maintenance of the toilets.

Photographs taken during the journey

A documentary film on HHL

Main contributors… Fakirana Sisters Society Sacred Heart Sisters Training School

For further information you may contact us Jan Vikas Samiti Christnagar P. O Varanasi – 221003 Uttar Pradesh India Email ID: director@janvikassamiti. org slf@janvikassamiti. org Ph No : +91 - 542 2626 (022), (137)

THANK YOU Presented by: - Mr. Rohit Manager – Programmes Jan Vikas Samiti