Field story contest
Stories about communities and interventions that helped (or failed!) to improve the sanitation and hygiene situation and provide valuable lessons from WASH experiences and practices.
Stories here do not necessarily reflect the views of IRC. Stories are published in good faith to promote better communication and community voices. IRC is not responsible for the completeness, accuracy or reliability of any information contained.
Contest 2012: Tell us a story – for pride and a prize
In 2012 E-Source is once again looking for stories about communities and interventions that helped (or failed!) to improve the sanitation and hygiene situation. Such stories provide valuable lessons from WASH experiences and practices.
Can we close the loop by making money from poop? Gladys Quispe thinks so
I wipe the dust from my eyes for what feels like the hundredth time, resist the urge to scratch the nagging bites around my ankles, and lean in closer to hear what Gladys Quispe has to say, as the squeaking pigs and clucking chickens compete with the feisty Bolivian woman.
Northern Uganda: Water’s open door
At Akodokodoi village in Northern Uganda, the tree divides us. On one side, we the project staff from CARE and partner organisations sit on short wooden folding chairs, forming a loose circle with the men. On the other side of the tree the women settle themselves on the ground.
Helping the people of Masaba sub-county access water and sanitation through joining hands
I am Bilabi Moses, a second year student of the Ugandan Christian University. I come from Buboolo parish, Bukissa Village, Masaba sub-county in Sironko district of Eastern Uganda. Masaba sub-county is characterised as being hilly since it is in the Mt Elgon region and blessed with many rivers.
Uganda: A rooster for payment of water fees
Communities in Uganda are responsible for making cash payments towards the construction of water supply facilities (e.g. boreholes), their operations and maintenance. Water supply facilities are often managed by a Water Source and Sanitation Committee (WSSC), which is a decision-making body that oversees the proper functioning of facilities. Such is the case at the Ciforo Sub County in Adjumani District, where a ‘loa’ (or borehole) may be found.
Gender is also about men
This photo was taken by Sohrab Baghri, WASH coordinator for ACF Sierra Leone & Liberia, during a visit to a slum area in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This man was not only carrying a baby on his back, but he was also fetching water from a local well for his family.
Helping women to adapt to climate change in Moroccan villages
There is no avoiding the Ameqrane River as we set out towards the villages of Boumaad and Tiza. Water rivulets and murky puddles wallow, while on the left bank a strip of water forges its way to the great river, like a snake slithering towards a well known destination, laden with water from a clear source in the upper reaches of the mountain.
Article submitted for the Source ‘Tell Us a Story – for pride and a prize’ contest launched in February 2010.
Sri Lanka: Miss, may I go to the toilet, please!
Sitting under a tree during the final stage of a water project to give women of Bandaragama water on tap, I noticed the swollen feet of the woman sitting next to me. Article submitted for the Source ‘Tell Us a Story – for pride and a prize’ contest launched in February 2010.
The voice from communities
Voices from communities is a blog where we post stories from the field around the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) from anywhere in the world that have been sent for the IRC Story contest.
