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Editorial The current international Millennium Development Goal (MDG) policy target for sanitation and water supply

aims (between 1990 and 2015) to cut in half the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. In Madagascar, two rural households out of three do not have access to a safe water source. Almost half of the rural population do not drink treated water; almost 43 percent boil water before drinking. In more than 8 rural households out of 10, 72 percent (mostly women and children) are walking an average of 30 minutes to collect drinking water. Half of rural households use open-air defecation. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are key elements of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Santnet2 Project, implemented by RTI International, because they are elements that have a great deal to do with mother and child health promotion. This edition of the Ezaka Mendrika bulletin focuses on our progress in this important area. We promote implementation of the community-led total sanitation (CLTS) approach in Kaominina Mendrika (KM) salama communes (champion communes). We also work with communes to develop community water management business plans to ensure safe water systems by 2013. The objective is to increase water access and latrine use for households. The results obtained to date are very promising. In 2010, a total of 2,402 new latrines were built in 272 villages. A total of 98 KM salama communes developed water management business plans to ensure drinkable water availability for households. Moreover, 3,000 community health workers (CHWs) are promoting WASH messages daily in all 800 KM salama communes. Despite the successes, there is still a long way to go to reach MDG targets and substantially improve quality of life in KM salama communes. Once again, I reiterate our thanks to all of the community actors working to achieve WASH goals. Chief of Party,

Bulletin Ezaka Mendrika


Water resource management
RTI/Santnet2s efforts in this area were distributed among water system governance, CLTS, behavior change and demand generation for WASH 1-Improving local capacity for water resource management in KM salama RTI/Santnet2 promotes sustainable water resources management systems in the KM salama communes through technical assistance to community actors. Activities achieved in Soamiaradia Fokontany, commune of Vohitsaoka Soamiaradia fokontany highlights one success story in WASH. The life of the local population (2,243 inhabitants) has changed after receiving technical assistance from Fikrifama, an RTI/ Santnet2 subcontractor, to develop a community business plan for water resources management.
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They nominated 15 members, who then prepared a water and sanitation (Watsan) business plan. The priority of the plan was to promote latrine use (eliminate open-air defecation) and improve/fix the prevailing water system (e.g., pumps and wells). Once a course of action had been chosen, the f okont any si gned a c o n t r a ct wi t h R T I/ Santnet2 to begin the built implementation process.

As part of the technical assistance, community leaders were trained on water resource management tools and prevailing laws and regulations.

Now Soamiaradia has a new look and has adopted new rules. All of As a result of this training, the local the 14 existing water pumps have been community prepared an inventory of renewed, 2 boreholes improved, and 3 water resources in the commune14 wells cleaned. Four latrines were built, one water pumps, 6 boreholes, and 7 wells. for each village. Water management Only seven of the water pumps were committees were put in place in each functional, and the commune did not village to manage water infrastructures. Individuals above 18 years old in Soamihave a water management plan. aradia fokontany agreed to pay MGA 200 The community put a committee for (about US$ 0.10) per month to the comwater resource management in place. munity account for water use. These pictures convey the incredible change in this communitys life BEFORE
Water pumps and traditional water sources in Soamiaradia have been all weeded and improved
Fikrifama: Before the training, water resources were neglected Fikrifama: Once the community 1 was empowered, they took actions
USAID/Santnet2 is implemented by RTI International

Fikrifama: Communities have toilet and shower box for public use

AFTER

Volkan Cakir
4 T H E D I T I O N , J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1

Communes that have introduced CLTS approach

2-Build local capacity to reach open-air-defecation-free status in KM salama communes


For 2010, RTI/Santnet2 trained 167 regional trainers on CLTS methodology and mobilized regional trainers to train 1,829 community leaders (Social Development Committee [SDC] members) to implement CLTS in 378 KM salama communes. We developed and produced 3,000 facilitation tools and job aids to be used in implementing the CLTS approach in KM salama communes. CHWs who participated in CLTS training mobilized community members to build 2,402 latrines. KM salama communes that have introduced CLTS are shown on the map on the left.
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Succ

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CLTS widely spread in the commune of Mahanoro. The commune of Mahanoro (district of Fnerive Est) is a success stories for the CLTS approach. After RTI/Santnet2 implemented the approach, the results have been very promising. Using a latrine is becoming a common habit in the commune, and new ideas about building model latrines are being put into practice.

Latest updates in Watsan sector -October and November 2010 were rich with events in the WATSAN sectortwo World days were celebrated: World Hand Washing Day on October 15 and World Toilet Day on November 19. The KM salama commune of Mahanoro hosted a big celebration of its effort to reach open-air-defecation-free status

This picture shows us a model of a new toilet in Antsirabe fokontany. The man who built it has added creative, humanizing touches. It is very spacious, and there are different racks to place items, such as candles for night use, a bottle of water for hand Care: Community-built latrines with washing, soap, a light, and papers. He local materials in Mahanoro also arranged the area around the toilet to prevent flooding from heavy rains. Like people throughout the commune of Mahanoro, villagers in Antsirabe used local materials for every innovation they made. It was reported that people in the commune spread ashes to avoid odors in the toilet after they used it. Care: Inside the latrine is The success in the commune of Mahanoro is the concrete result of very clean . solid collaboration between the SDC, CHWs, and the commune staff. This whole mechanism brought a change to the commune. The population living in the seven villages where CLTS was implemented no longer practice open-air defecation. A very strong follow-up system was put in place with SDC members and other notables.

CHWs-agents of WASH behavior change and demand generation


For WASH behavior change and demand generation, RTI/Santnet2

trained 4,163 CHWs on communication and behavior change for water -A new project, called Rural treatment, hand washing, and waste management. We produced and Access to New Opportunities distributed 6,000 information, education, and communication/behavior for Health and Water change communication (IEC/BCC) tools and job aids to train CHWs to R e s o u r c e M a n a g e m e n t Care: CHWs spreading key Wash carry out communication and behavior change activities in 533 KM (RanonAla), is reinforcing messages in Mahanoro salama communes. CHWs have a large role to play in spreading hygiene messages and water and hygiene improving sanitation practices in all the KM salama communes. improvement in Madagascar. This project, implemented by 5,376 CHWs have been trained on the three key hygiene practices: Catholic Relief Services 1-conduct awareness raising on WASH key messages and on impact of dirty hands (CRS), in partnership with RTI 2-Promote the use of small, doable actions and alternative water purification methods among households International, Sandandrano, 3-Promote the use of suitable latrines CARITAS, Conservation -378 Communes have introduced the CLTS approach International, Bush Proof, and s of t 78 communes and 272 villages have started latrines construction l u s re Human Network rete ties -2,402 new latrines meeting standard built Conc n activi a International, will cover 14 Wats -130,258 people have access to improved new latrines KM salama communes in the -113 communes benefited from capacity-building on the management of sustainable region of Analanjirofo, around water infrastructures. the Makira forest 2 -98 Water Resource Development plans under implementation
4 T H E D I T I O N , J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1 USAID/Santnet2 is implemented by RTI International

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