Inclusive ways of working
The Uganda project will go on for three years and aims to support almost 30,000 people in 48 villages in the Pader district. A number of activities will be carried out to encourage behavioral change in regards to sanitation and hygiene. By targeting children, of course as direct beneficiaries, but also as agents of behavior and attitude change within the community, they can act as peer educators towards their families, neighbors and friends. The method is called PHASE and has been implemented at primary schools over a decade with proven positive results. The children learn how to e.g. wash their hands and then they teach the adults around them and are also there to remind them if they were to relapse into old habits.
Another method that will be used in the project is called UMOJA, meaning “oneness”. By clustering the village into smaller groups, where all households in each group need to improve their sanitation level – in essence constructing a latrine facility – before the village is rewarded its own water source. The method has proven effective in establishing sustainable sanitation and hygiene practices, putting a stop to open defecation which often is a problem in these sorts of areas.
Children are trained in sanitation and hygiene
The children act as agents of behavior and attitude change within the community
The children act as peer educators towards their families, neighbors, and friends
The village is grouped into clusters of households
All families in each cluster need to construct a latrine facility
When the entire cluster has improved its sanitation status it is rewarded with a water point
