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.
Contest: Tell us a story – for pride and a prize
31 May 11
In 2011 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. Each story should identify a problem or situation, the key interventions and the outcomes and should, whenever possible, be accompanied by [...]
Celebrating community management of water in Cochabamba
02 May 11
We have just celebrated four years of community management of our water supply in this part of Cochabamba. It is a celebration not of perfection but of hard work; not a story with a happy ending, but a story where we meet the continual challenges. Lack of water is a constant problem in the Southern [...]
Northern Cameroun: Bucket chlorination for treatment of epidemic cholera
28 Apr 11
In the far North province of Cameroun, several villages received a treatment called: “Bucket’s chlorination”. During this chlorination, samples of water are analyzed and the results are recorded in notebooks. In this report the data of water were compiled and an average of consumption by person was established. [1] This article resumes those activities: the “bucket’s chlorination” [...]
Read more or http://voiceofcommunities.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/northern-cameroun-bucket-chlorination-for-treatment-of-epidemic-cholera/
‘I am not Nobody now’
16 May 11
I am Amai (Mother) Toriro. This is the story of how my life changed when I became a health club member. In 1995, I was dumped by my husband. He left me with 7 children and went to the city. He had another wife but after six years she died of AIDS and he came [...]
We are the solution
17 Jan 11
Finally, after a struggle of two long years the panchayat (local village governing body) agreed to set up the pump and pipeline to the water tank while Seva Mandir-the NGO supported the effort by constructing the water tank and setting up the distribution line and taps. And now the whole system is being governed by the local community of Bheels and they have the fixed monthly rentals on each household for water usages which contributes to their own mohalla (cluster) account which they have opened in the bank which they utilize for repair and maintenance. This could have been possible only through the grit and determination of the community and their desire to develop something for them.
Scripting history at 3,600 feet
14 Jan 11
Suka Bewa, an 85 year-old lady, brightens up and she has plenty of reasons for this. At such a ripe old age she will no longer have to tread on an arduous path, moving down and climbing up 4 kilometers of hilly terrain to fetch water … drinking water. She also rejoices in the fact [...]
Northern Uganda: Water’s open door
14 Dec 10
At Akodokodoi village in Northern Uganda, the tree divides us. On one side, we the project staff from CARE and partner organizations 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. I wonder if they prefer this [...]
Can we close the loop by making money from poop? Gladys Quispe thinks so
24 Nov 10
Gladys Quispe is making money from poop in Bolivia.
Rainwater harvesting brings hope to Iltumtum community
24 Nov 10
Story submitted on 27 October 2010 for the Source story contest. Harsh realities of Iltumtum Narok town in Kenya is the gateway to the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, attracting hordes of tourists every year. However, despite the potential for development offered by the Reserve, most ordinary people living nearby have not benefited. Iltumtum is [...]
The ‘War of the Future’ or something else …
24 Nov 10
There were two main points of discussion: the location of the storage tank, and the possible construction of a new small dam in addition to the one which was budgeted for, so that it could provide the desired amount of water. But two communities began arguing about the water and Made by Carlos Mejíadiscussing their futures...
