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.
Helping the people of Masaba sub-county access water and sanitation through joining hands
24 Nov 10
The access of water and sanitation calls for a joint effort and not only governments and donors as many of us think. As an individual what have you done to ensure that you and your neighbour get water and improve hygiene and sanitation? A community promoter from Uganda shows how he handled these questions in the field.
Gender is also about men
24 Nov 10
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. It is a rare sight [...]
Youths motivate community to change their defecation practices
24 Nov 10
Introduction In the small rural village of Leubraudo in Aileu District, Timor-Leste, a group of youth motivate their community to change their defecation practices, become Open Defecation Free and stay that way. “The Group of Change: Youths motivate community to change their defecation practices” is another field sStory submitted for the 2010 Source story [...]
Uganda: A rooster for payment of water fees
24 Nov 10
"A rooster for payment of water usre fees at Loa borehole in Adjumani District in Uganda" is another story in the Source field story contest 2o10.
Running water uphill
24 Nov 10
Here is another story from the Phillipines for the Source Story Contst 2010, submited by Auke Idzinga, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation. Many upland communities in the world have problems in accessing sources of water. However often springs, streams and rivers can be found below the villages. Elevation differences between source and the village result in [...]
My “SH” conversion in Ethiopia
24 Nov 10
Witnessing the overwhelming community initiative and marked health improvements in Hosanna, I am now a firm believer in SH (Sanitation and Hygiene) as a vital part of water development—even when the “WA” (Water) of WASH is delayed. When communities like those in Hosanna, Ethiopia, successfully carry out sanitation and hygiene education, they experience dramatically improved health, and I am confident that they will be good stewards of water systems once they are installed.
Gone are those days
24 Nov 10
A lot of things have changed in Hawassaa since people fell in dilapidated toilets of the past. Thank God for gone are those days.
