Children with camera: knowledge sharing for changing sanitation of society - Nepal - photo essay

This is the story of Darechowk village (with a population above 8,000) of Chitawan District in Nepal. Mr Shreerendra Pokhrel, Headmaster of Majhgawn high school attended a training on ecological sanitation in 2007. He was determined to make his village into an ecosan village and he did. This village is known as an ecosan village and a resource center and visiting place.

Shreenredra came out with the idea of making children as change agents for sanitation promotion in line with the school sanitation movement of his district. He formed the Bal Club and divided children into 9 groups. He wanted students to write short reports on sanitation with photos. Mr Han Heijnen of WHO liked the idea and provided one digital camera for the school.

With the camera, students happily visited their community in teams and captured different scenes related to sanitation and environment. Students took the photos and discussed each scene in their teams. They prepared a half page report on each scene as key messages. The photographs with their interpretations were displayed in a photo exhibition during the ceremony to declare their school ODF (open defecation free) in 2009. This photo essay is based on the photos displayed in the exhibition.