Community Led Total Sanitation - a low-cost approach to improved health and hygiene for rural communities

Various development partners and donors in Sierra Leone have expended huge sums of money to provide sanitation facilities in the rural communities. Unfortunately, these projects have failed to improve the sanitary conditions and habits of the rural populace, because of lack of ownership and sustainability issues.

The introduction of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach in Sierra Leone has created amazing practical results by ensuring a low cost-high impact community based approach to deliver improved hygiene behaviours and practice using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) process as modified in the CLTS context. Chibuzor Human Resource Development Organization (CHIDO) is a National NGO in Sierra Leone working with UNICEF to implement CLTS activities in 25 communities in Kenema District.

Major objective of project was to ensure that by the end of nine months residents of 25 communities in Kenema District will adopt a minimum of two healthy practices of always using the latrine and washing of hands at critical times. Also, to ensure that by end of nine months, 3 Physical Health Units (PHUs) have sustainable access to safe water and sanitation facilities. CHIDO is here to share our experience.