Max Value for WASH Project
Background
Rangabali area is surrounded by mighty river in 3 sides and Bay of Bengal (sea) in the south. Due to the remoteness of the area, the administrative penetration of the government and non government development activists always ignored. Still now it takes 4 to 6 hour to reach the Upazila headquarter from the southern parts of Golachipa. As Rangabali had a remote area of which proposed two unions of Rangabali were getting lesser attention from the health & hygiene access point of view. But due to easy source of earning through marine fisheries the presence of huge people associated with this profession makes the situation bad for the lack of safe water and proper sanitation. The shallow tube well water is salty and to install a DTW it requires bore at least 1200 feet which is costly for the middle class people too. Due to the frequent movement of the huge rush during the harvesting season and fishing the sanitation practices are open defecation... In the last 2 decades few development partners have directed some sanitation projects which were mainly centralized in the surrounding area of Galachipa urban location. Very few hardware supports came in the proposed area but due to the lack of knowledge or health education it didn’t last long or unsustainable. Besides, every year people of these unions severely face the natural calamities like cyclone, high tides, storms and tidal surge. In the last 5 years three mighty cyclone SIDR, AILA and NARGIS devastated huge infrastructures mainly sanitation structure like DTW and latrine.
Moreover, the maternal and infant mortality rate is higher than any parts of the country for the lack of health clinics and workers. Superstition and lack of education is another main reason of increased incidence of the child and maternal mortality. During the six months of year July to December huge mobile toilets of the boat and launch/steamer dumped a huge amount of human excreta in the river and canal water of the area which is main sources of household requirements.
The project has covered 2 Unions of the Upazilas which respectively are Rangabali and Choto Baishdia of Rangabali Upazila/sub-district.
As a result, frequently people especially mother and children faces water borne diseases which causes a significant number of deaths due to lack of treatment facilities and medical persons in the remote coastal area. The project area basically very remote and it is geographically divided by a mighty river. So, the government service provider are often visits those area and there is no proper infrastructure where they will get the services too. As a result, pregnant mother and new borne faces serious problems to get the medications during their requirement. So, Satellite clinic is an important tool for reducing maternal & child mortality through health sessions. Due to the absence of the GOB health service provider, people of the working area are taking the health care services from the rural quack doctors or village doctors who are basically pharmacy men and they don’t have good idea on the contraindication of the medicine. So, they often suggested the patient to take higher antibiotics and take risk in case of serious patient. This type of practices creates bad impact in the rural health care facilities. So, we have planned to provide training to the quack or village doctors so that they become introduce with the modern method of medications and using medicines side by side a good referral system is being created so that people get the proper medications and suggestions during their needs.
Components
The followings are the main activities and components:
Community Based organization (CBO) Development
Primary Health Care (PHC)
WATSAN
School Sanitation and class room session
TBA training and Safe Motherhood
Advocacy
Motivational inputs including SRHR
Stunted growth
Community Capacity Building
Staff Capacity Building
Workshop, Seminar & Orientations
Exposure Visit
Management Meetings
Monitoring and Evaluation
Auditing
Reporting
Approach
Capacity building and sustainability are the main focus of this project as the sustainable community actions are the vehicles to bring changes and continue further development, thus, the building of the community structure and its effective functioning with improved knowledge and skills on the improved WASH practices, sexual and reproductive health rights, necessary care for safe motherhood and ensure the growth of children are the key features. Considering the issues and its requirements to bring changes all the issues have been included and activities have been defined in a way that may ensure effective changes as defined in the objectives. However, the project time frame is the period in which the expected changes needs to be happened to bring long term impact and a structured learning may ensure getting continues experiences which lead to translate the learning’s into actions. Keeping that view ,it is anticipated that by the end of the project life time these community structures (CBOs) will be established ,well functioning and will have the coordination/networks with LGI, private entrepreneurs, government mechanism and other NGOs operating in the area to make sure the available resources are mobilized and being used for the community.To make the community actions more effective the active involvement of local government institutions, govt institutions , religious and community leaders, teachers and quack doctors etc. are very important as they have the influence to bring and sustain changes in the community, thus, these groups are involved in different project activities and necessary training is being provided to develop their knowledge and attitude to get them more supportive towards achieving the project objectives.
Furthermore, along the with capacity building some hardware support programs like installation of DHTWs and latrines has been implemented for ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation at the HHs level including schools . Other software interventions to the rural women particularly pregnant mothers care through TBA training and satellite clinics , under-5 children care through growth monitoring , school class room sessions for promoting hygiene practices are included in the project activities, moreover, advocacy with public representatives, government officials ,policy makers are emphasized for establishing an effective relationship wih all the stakeholders to get their best support towards meeting the needs of the community
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