| Nepal Water for Health(NEWAH) |
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Activities
WATER
NEWAH supports approximately 50 projects a year (to be increased
to 75 projects a year by 2002 ) in five regions. Gravity flow
schemes operate in the Hill areas and hand pumps are installed in
the Terai. These are managed and operated by the community with
special emphasis on empowering women as decision makers. The
communities are involved in all stages of the project activity.
These include needs assessment, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation and operation and maintenance. NEWAH is now
concentrating on increasing its support to difficult geographical
locations in order to serve the poorest people in Nepal. These
areas include places far from the road head and the inner Terai
where the easy access of groundwater is difficult. It is also keen
to adapt alternative technologies to serve these areas. Therefore,
NEWAH is currently carrying out pilot projects into rain water
harvesting and researching on fog water collection.
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SANITATION
A range of sanitation options is offered at a subsidised rate
which the rural people can afford and maintain themselves. NEWAH
has been successful at persuading approximately 75% of its
beneficiaries in the Hill projects to install domestic latrines.
However due to soil conditions in the Terai, latrine components
are more expensive. The costs are considerably higher as the
latrine cannot be constructed without a lining. To add to this,
the poverty level, landlessness and lack of social awareness
results in very low demand. NEWAH is researching cheaper lining
materials, offering loans and increasing the awareness through
community health lessons.
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HEALTH EDUCATION
NEWAH's health education policy deals with broader health
concerns. Included with NEWAH's activities are those which
concentrate on bringing about sustainable changes in hygiene/water
related behaviours. The immediate impact of NEWAH's health
education program can be witnessed in villages where schemes are
complete:
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tap
stands are clean;
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drying racks are constructed and used;
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latrines are clean and well maintained;
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soap is available for hand washing;
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water is stored properly in a covered pot which is raised from the
ground;
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schools within project villages have at least one latrine and
children are involved in health education through 'child to child'
education;
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the material for health education is up to date.
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