Narwade began with the basics! His first lessons addressed something very fundamental to existence, that is, the importance of nature.
Narwade would take his students for 2 km long walks through the jungle near school, something like the field trips arranged by reputed and expensive schools in cities. However, there was a difference. The field trips of the Lonewadi school were not just entertaining and educational for the kids but also taught them the importance of preserving and growing forests.
The walks would begin with the children collecting seeds of neem and tamarind trees. Once they had all their seeds, the students had to count them and the kid with the maximum number of seeds was rewarded. This also helped the children improve their math skills.
The next step was to find places where they could sow the seeds in the jungle. The seeds need had to be planted inside the bushes that grow near big trees so the saplings would get the initial support they needed to grow.
“I have had this habit since childhood. My mother always asked us to sow the seeds of the fruits we ate on the way to the school. We stayed in Kharus village in the Yavatmal district and my school was 4 km away in Dhanki. We used to throw the seeds in the jungle on the way to school and also take care of the plants when the seedlings sprouted,” says Narwade.
Narwade and his little student army also made nests for the birds in the forest and placed water pots for them to quench their thirst.
In the year 2012, the NGO Shivprabha Charitable Trust came to the village of Lonewadi. At the time, the village lacked water facilities, electricity and roads. In the same year, Narwade became a member of the Trust and started working on all these fronts. Today, the village has paved roads, a solar operated water distribution system and electricity, thanks to the efforts of the NGO.
The Trust has also constructed one bio-toilet in the village and is now on a mission to make the entire village open defecation free.
The village has 41 households. Therefore, only 40 more toilets need to be built in the village to fulfill this aim. The Better India appeals to its readers to help make this beautiful and inspirational village meet its target by contributing money for the construction of toilets.
This World Toilet Day, The Better India is supporting Lonewadi, a village in Maharashtra, to become open defecation free in just one month! The residents want to build a toilet in each home and secure a healthy, hygienic and dignified life for themselves. Please lend your support to the residents in their quest and help them get access to toilets, sanitation facilities and a healthy future like all of us.
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Vipul Ujwal and Sonali Giri[/caption]
A public toilet in Kolkata[/caption]
Ruta and Ashish Kalawar[/caption]
Ashish and Ruta with the kids of Lonwadi[/caption]
The villagers had to go down the hill every day to fetch water and so, the first thing they needed was a solar-operated water pump to draw water to the top of the hill. Another thing that Ashish and Ruta noticed was that many villagers in Lonwadi were victims of addiction to alcohol or tobacco. They wanted to do something about both these issues but it was time for them to return to England.
They did the best they could under the circumstances by donating some money for the water system and left the country again. Meanwhile, Shivprabha Charitable Trust continued to work for the betterment of the village.
Rukmina[/caption]
“Namaskar! My name is Rukmina Vilas Bhuse. I stay in the village of Lonwadi with my parents, grandparents and six siblings. My oldest sister used to also live with us but since she is married now there are just 11 at home. Both my parents work on our farm and we help them too. We don’t take our youngest brother to the farm but the rest of us have to help them earn a livelihood so they can feed us.
Rukmina with her family.[/caption]
One of my older sisters has appeared for Class 12 and wishes to study further. I am the third oldest one and am in Class 10. My other two sisters are in Class 8 and Class 6. The village school is up to Class 5 only so the three of us go to Khadakdari, 7 km away from our village to study. The rest of my siblings study here in the Lonwadi school.
The Digital School at Lonwadi[/caption]
Much has changed in our village too in recent years. I remember, as a kid, we used to get water from a small lake down the hill. But now there is this pump that does the work and all we have to do is fill water from the taps. There’s electricity too, which makes life so much easier. The irrigation facility provided by the NGO has been a blessing; now my parents don’t have to sit idle for the six months it does not rain, nor do they have to migrate from the village to find work. My mother also contributes by working in the Gruh Udyog (handicraft unit) started by them.
Thank God some roads were built before we started going to the Khadakdari School, otherwise we would have to walk all the way. Now, a tempo comes to pick up and drop us from school.
The common bio-toilet built by Shivprabha Charitable Trust at Lonwadi.[/caption]
But that’s not enough. I wish there was a toilet in my house too. I am 16 years old now and I feel shy about going to the jungle. But there is no other option. There are snakes, scorpions and other dangerous insects around the place where we go. It’s scary, especially in the rainy season. Moreover, we have to sit somewhere between the bushes to hide ourselves.
Rukmina's youngest brother[/caption]
My father tells us every year that he will build a toilet at home. But we know his financial condition. How can he?
A mobile Ecosan toilet[/caption]
M Subburaman receiving the Water Digest award[/caption]
Inside an Ecosan Urine Diversion Toilet (EUDT)[/caption]
An Ecosan toilet in rural India[/caption]
The Ecosan toilets at Musiri[/caption]
Determined and confident, Soulya fearlessly voices her opinion and calls for action.[/caption]
“My father did not speak to me for days when I went against his wishes and conducted training sessions. I tried convincing him many times, but he would not budge, and said that such meetings are useless,” Soulya remembers sadly. Her mother also stopped her from undertaking such sessions because of the notions of ‘shame’ and ‘dignity’ attached to them. But she eventually came around, “My mother has now begun to understand what I stand for. Convincing her was tough, but she acknowledges the change it has brought about in all our lives.”
It was only when one of the teachers from Apnalaya visited their house and talked to Soulya’s parents that they took her work seriously. “Teacher didi convinced my mother, telling her that I was educating the community and that her daughter would make her proud someday.” The WASH4Life workshop taught Soulya and other youngsters from the area basic photography skills. The youngsters were given cameras at the end of the workshop to click photographs reflecting elements of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in their surroundings.
“I could not believe my eyes when I saw the photographs. So much filth! Although I was aware that we were living in unhygienic conditions, to see those conditions highlighted in these photographs is disturbing. Most of the illnesses in our community are because of poor sanitation and hygiene. I, along with my friends from the workshop, have thus taken it upon ourselves to educate people in the basic steps towards better hygiene and sanitation,” Soulya proclaims with an air of confidence and determination.
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Children living in Govandi are the most exposed and vulnerable to illnesses related to hygiene and sanitation. The State must press for better measures in tackling these.[/caption]
Soulya draws attention to the changes in her own household post the workshop, “Previously, members of my household would wash their hands only with water. Now, they use soap and follow the 10 steps of hand-washing.” She proudly states that her two younger brothers now follow her practices diligently. It will take some time for her parents to completely accept this change. Soulya believes that changing community behavior is a herculean task, “My parents prove that one cannot expect change overnight. Often, my neighbors ask me to mind my own business. They think we are children who do not know anything. For them, a 16-year-old girl must stay indoors and take care of her younger siblings.”
Soulya has had to overcome innumerable such difficulties in her journey. She believes that government agencies must be more responsible, “Health workers and doctors should hold seminars for the community. To the people, that would mean that the government is looking out for them. The people also heed professional advice, and that is a small step towards better health. We also need better and affordable health facilities near the slums so that people don’t have to travel too far.”
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Lived realities such as these portray a multi-faceted experience of the population living in the slums of Shivajinagar, Govandi.[/caption]
There is no stopping Soulya in her efforts, “The girls in the community are spearheading this process, leading by example. The challenge is attitudinal. There is no one-stop solution for these issues. Youngsters from the community have to take responsibility of moving the needle for the community’s progress.”
If you know other child-champions creating an impact as role-models in their community, 
Enactus is a global non-profit organisation run by students at individual university and college levels committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better and more sustainable world. In India, Enactus is active in more than 150 colleges and universities involving more than 4,300 students working on nearly 122 projects across the country. The SSCBS Enactus team comprises of 70 students, of which 20 are directly involved in Project Raahat.
During this time, Enactus SSCBS conducted several need assessment surveys in these slums to understand what the community required. They found that people didn’t have clean toilets and in some cases no toilets at all. Instead they chose to defecate in open grounds or near railway lines close by. They also found that the existing toilet complexes in these slums were in a dilapidated state with broken walls, no water or electricity supply, and unclean latrines that were a breeding ground for pathogens. Thus, in collaboration with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), SSCBS Enactus became the first student body in Delhi to be allocated four toilet complexes in Sultanpuri and Kirti Nagar slums for holistic growth and upkeep of the local community.
The students are responsible for the operational management of the complex. They also sensitize the slum community on using these toilets. To reduce open defecation, they had to come up with unique innovative methods to attract people to use the new toilet complexes. They followed a three-point action plan. First, they made the toilet complex aesthetically attractive by creating wall art. They used witty Bollywood slogans of pop culture icons like Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan on the walls; bright and vivid in colour, you could see Gabbar Singh saying, ‘Basanti, khule mein na jaa’ (Basanti, don’t defecate in the open) on one of the walls.
“We created a superhero called ‘Raahi’ to attract children there and tap into their psychology as someone who would pull them out of their misery and put them on the road to sanitation,” says Aanisha Belur, an associate with SSCBS Enactus working on Project Raahat. The next step was to create a sense of community responsibility towards the maintenance of the toilet complexes. For this, they grew vertical gardens where they planted saplings in half-cut plastic bottles filled with soil and hung them on the side of the toilet building. This encouraged people to not break or vandalize the complex and to contribute towards the upkeep of the toilet complex.
For example, the students ran a series of camps on a daily basis in December where they stood near grounds and stopped and questioned those who were going to defecate in the open. They involved the slum children to run up to those who were going to defecate outside and tell them to use the washroom instead. The aim was to induce shame in the adults as children would go close to them and say ‘They are going to defecate in the open in public.’ It was fun for the children too and achieved the community goal of making everyone use the bathrooms. More than cleanliness, money is a great deal harder to come by for these slum residents, many of whom are below the poverty line.
“After speaking to many of them, we realised a major reason they chose not to use the government toilet complexes is that they had to pay a rupee per person each time they used it,” says Aanisha. As an alternative they would use the Mobile Toilet Vans (MTVs) which are free to use for women but are ill-maintained. To tackle this, the group of students came up with a pass system where a family of three had to pay only Rs 100 per month to use the toilet facilities at any time or any number of times. They established various rates depending on the number of family members. The facilities can be availed for free by senior and physically challenged citizens and children below 10 years of age. The passes contain a family photograph, the names of the family members and their local address.
The curious case of missing urinals in government schools[/caption]
Providing a toilet can never be the complete solution. The most important aspect of the equation has to be driving behavioural change. Without a push in the direction of changing user behaviour, sanitation programs have seldom been successful.
Two recurring attributes are smell and a lack of regular water supply. Another major issue is vandalism which led to frequent infrastructural breakdowns. Sometimes, antisocial elements from the community surrounding the school, and sometimes from the school itself, would periodically damage school property.
The newest version of our Waterless Urinal installed in Mandya[/caption]
The solution, therefore, has to be capable of taking on problems of irregular water supply and odour, and be low-cost and robust.
The Waterless Urinal uses a simple TT ball to block the path between the urine bowl and the underground sewage system when not in use. The ball lifts up and spins when urinated upon, and settles back into place when not in use. This way, it greatly reduces odour in the toilet without the use of water.
The anatomy of Reap Benefit’s Waterless Urinal[/caption]
Reap Benefit has installed more than 200 waterless urinals in the last two years in government schools in and around Bangalore. The sanitation experience of students is now radically better. Since students build the urinals with Reap Benefit’s teams, there is greater sense of ownership, reducing instances of vandalism.
Reap Benefit has installed more than 200 urinals in schools in and around Bangalore[/caption]
Over the years, the Urinal has gone through several iterations to accommodate user experience and input. The solution, along with an emphasis on behavioural change, is helping create better sanitation experiences in government schools, one urinal at a time.
Join Reap Benefit in its mission to solve tough civic and environmental issues on our 
Dharnai, India's first solar powered village[/caption]
Dharnai[/caption]
Payvihir[/caption]
Hiware Bazaar[/caption]
Odanthurai[/caption]
Chizami[/caption]
Gangadevipalli[/caption]
Pelicans in Kokrebellur[/caption]
Khonoma[/caption]
Himanshu Patel, the Sarpanch of Punsari (centre) and happy villagers[/caption]
Ramchandrapur[/caption]
Mawlynnong[/caption]
In the tiny hamlet of Mawlynnong, plastic is banned, spotless paths are lined with flowers, bamboo dustbins stand at every corner, volunteers sweep the streets at regular intervals and large signboards warn visitors against littering. Here, tidying up is a ritual that everyone – from tiny toddlers to toothless grannies – takes very seriously. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the village community, this small, 600-odd-person hamlet in Meghalaya is today renowned as the cleanest village in India and Asia.
Piplantri[/caption]
For the last several years, the Piplantri village panchayat has been saving girl children and increasing the green cover in and around it at the same time. Here, villagers plant 111 trees every time a girl is born and the community ensures these trees survive, attaining fruition as the girls grow up. They also set up a fixed deposit for the girls and make their parents sign an affidavit that ensures their education.
Over the last nine years, people here have managed to plant over a quarter million trees on the village's grazing commons. To prevent these trees from being infested with termite, the residents planted over 2.5 million aloe vera plants around them. Now, these trees, especially the aloe vera, are a source of livelihood for several residents.
For contact details, 
Eraviperoor[/caption]
Baghuvar[/caption]
Shikdamakha[/caption]
The initiative has been taken up by the National Service Scheme (NSS) of the college.
In 2005, the NSS unit conducted a camp in Karvale village to build one toilet for a school. None of the families in the village had a toilet and it was upon visiting the village that the students realized the gravity of the issue –they then decided to extend the project.
“Kondhs are habituated to defecating in the open, mostly in the forest (donger) or by the river. So when I decided to work on sanitation issues it was important to speak to everyone to make sure they understood the need for building toilets. I had to hold several meetings to bring home the realisation that constructing toilets meant better health for everyone,” she shares. However, just holding meetings wasn’t enough; the other big challenge was to convince them that there was enough space to build a latrine at home. “Many people simply declared that they didn’t have space to build latrines; it was up to us to be able to show them otherwise. Finally, after much cajoling a few were agreeable to construct a toilet at home. Some were even ready to divide their kitchen space to build a latrine,” she adds with a smile.
Much like Pujari, sarpanch Chandramani took time to get through to her people. The popular village head decided to lead by example – her household became the first in Chakraliguda to not just make a toilet but also use it every day.
Among them, toilet access for Scheduled Tribes is a mere 5.3 per cent and for Scheduled Caste rural households it’s only slightly better at 8.9 per cent. Effectively, close to 42 million people in rural Odisha defecate in the open every day. This unfortunate reality persists even though women largely do realise that a toilet at home safeguards them from indignity and ill health. It’s to give these otherwise powerless women a voice and, at the same time, achieve total sanitation that UNICEF has been supporting motivators like Pujari and Chandramani in their endeavours.
In fact, there are 3,800 Sanitation Motivators working in 15 districts across Odisha today. “These community leaders used what could be termed as shock treatment to get through to the villagers. In different meeting they told them: ‘you cover yourselves with saris but then expose yourself to the whole world’. When they used such hard-hitting words people started paying attention,” shares Manas Biswal, Regional Programme Coordinator and Consultant, UNICEF.
To help locals give up open defecation, initially, the Sanitation Motivators introduced them to the ‘clay method’ wherein they were told to cover the human excreta with soil and clay. Each panchayat constituted a Nigrani (vigilance) committee whose members took to spreading awareness and enforcing the clay method. Gradually, families began building toilets, which they nowadays refer to as ‘swabhiman ghara’ or the room of dignity.
For Nirupama Swain of Jagatsinghpur district having a toilet at home has been a true blessing, especially since she is going to have her baby soon. “In the early months of my pregnancy we didn’t have a toilet and I used to find it difficult to keep going outside to relieve myself. In this condition things can get tricky particularly after sun down. I am so thankful that I don’t have to bother about this anymore.” Even those menstruating are happy to have this facility during those “difficult days of the month”.
According to Nimai Sasmal, a male sanitation motivator from Jagatsinghpur district, besides women and girls, toilets are vital for the disabled as well as the elderly who can’t walk for long distances or squat in the open. “I’ll share an example. In my village there is a disabled young man Dillip Behera for whom going to relieve himself in open was embarrassing and very difficult. Every morning, two or three people were needed to take him to the outskirts of the village and then bring him back. The situation was tougher at night and during the rainy season. Now that he has a toilet at home he is happy that he doesn’t need to depend on anyone.” He adds that such activism is anyway the need of the hour because “open spaces are fast shrinking”. He remarks, “Land is at a premium and being used to build homes, schools and roads. Fallow land is reducing with each passing year.”
But whereas the benefits of giving up open defection are many and communities are well aware of them for many old habits die hard. “It is not that people are not building toilets; the main problem is that they are not using them because they are so used to going out in the open. What we need to aggressively work on is to bring in a lasting change in attitudes and practices, which, of course, is easier said than done,” explains Pujari, who is in her late 40s.
“In this process of creating change, awareness comes first followed by actual toilet construction. Then we need to keep an eye on people to ensure that the facility is being put to use,” elaborates Mitu Swain, a sanitation motivator from Khandi village in Ganjam district, adding, “For a long time things can’t be left unsupervised because people tend to go back to doing what is more familiar though it may be detrimental to their wellbeing.”
While the state government, with support from the Centre as well as various development organisations, has put in place campaigns and programmes for spreading awareness against open defecation in a bid to meet the 2019 target, it’s the band of front-line activists like Pujari, Chandramani and others who are actively restoring dignity and pride to the rural communities.
Sheela Singh with the low-cost incinerator at her terrace.[/caption]
Until now, Papna Mau’s preferred modes of disposal were throwing used menstrual absorbents in local water bodies or burying them in the ground, making them a permanent part of the ecosystem. Though large-scale burning of sanitary napkins leads to toxic emissions, such home-based simple mud incinerators seem like a lesser evil.
At a macro level, lack of clarity on menstrual waste disposal mechanisms has been a persistent challenge for policy makers and civil society practitioners. Sanitary napkins are technically classified as ‘biomedical waste’, and should be collected and disposed of appropriately. However, due to inherent logistical challenges, menstrual waste is usually clubbed with other household waste.
According to the existing Solid Waste Management Rules, “every waste generator shall wrap securely the used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads, etc., in the pouches provided by the manufacturers or brand owners of these products, or in a suitable wrapping material as instructed by the local authorities, and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste or non-biodegradable waste”.
Independent organisations have suggested that menstrual waste be indicated by a big red dot for the benefit of waste workers who routinely handle such waste with bare hands, and thus expose themselves to the considerable risk of contracting infections.
Sunita Kanojia with her mud incinerator.[/caption]
Papna Mau has taken a lead in menstruation conversation. Women and girls are no longer compelled to hide used sanitary pads, or sneak out under the cover of darkness to dispose of them. They are free from the unhealthy pressure of using as few pads as possible. Papna Mau is a cleaner village and is rid of waste that was never even acknowledged. Most importantly, menstruation is no longer the taboo it once was.
Women in the village now gather to speak about their menstruation-related experiences in the centrally located Anganwadi. The men sit outside, waiting to share their views on various related aspects like safe disposal. In a country where women prefer silence when it comes to topics like menstruation, this is a remarkable change.
Dinesh Kumar Yadav, 30, speaks of the time when men would utter curses on spotting sanitary napkins. “It took some time, but men in the village are now convinced that blaming women is not the solution. I even tell my wife to worship during her periods, but she is hesitant,” he says. “Like other village men, I even go to the local shop and buy sanitary napkins,” says Yadav.
Papna Mau touches the state capital Lucknow, and is a mix of rural and urban characteristics. The population has sustained livelihood, and is moderately educated. “The challenge was to sell the idea that there are better ways of living. To change the ‘we know best’ mindset was the toughest challenge,” said Anju Vats, field worker.
The intervention in Papna Mau followed a two-pronged approach. In addition to devising better disposal methods, adequate supply of sanitary products was ensured. The change agents (or ‘titliyan’ as they are known under the programme) were identified and trained to sell the product.
Rita Gautam is a proud change agent.[/caption]
Rita Gautam, 16, is one such depot manager. “My mother was not at home, and sanitary napkins were not available at any of the shops in the village. I faced so much discomfort and embarrassment. I do not want other girls to face the same distress,” says Gautam, who offers advice on disposal with every pack she sells. She shared that some men in the village too come to get the product.
“Menstruation is the first reproductive right of women. How it is dealt with sets the template for future empowerment,” explains Dr. Neelam Singh, Chief Functionary of Vatsalya, WaterAid India’s partner organisation.
By this simple measure, Papna Mau’s female population is treading the right path.
(The author is a Lucknow-based independent journalist who reports on social justice and politics from North India. She is currently a fellow with the Population Reference Bureau, Women’s Edition Asia.)
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Image for representation. Photo source: 
