SARAR/PHAST: A participatory

approach for building human

capacity and empowering
communities
RON SAWYER
Planning and Implementation of Sustainable
Sanitation in Urban/Semi-urban settings –
A need for development of existing tools

STOCKHOLM
25-26 August 2008
THE CHALLENGE
It is not easy to
shift from
conventional to
ecological
sanitation systems.

Toilets are deeply

ingrained
within a specific
cultural and
personal context.
 IT´S NATURAL
The natural functions of
urinating and defecating
are frequently referred to
with euphemisms:

“number one and number two”

“answering the call of nature”
“taking care of necessities”
“using the toilet“
“going to the bathroom”
“taking care of business”
“relieving oneself”
“doing”
 SANITARY BEHAVIORS
Toilet behaviors are learned at a very early age,
assimilated into daily routine and then
simply not spoken about.
The school toilet experience is often traumatic!

Shame Disgust Ridicule Abuse

WHY CAN TALKING TOILETS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

 To raise awareness about the

serious risks to human health, to
the environment and the survival
of human societies.

 To share ideas on workable

alternatives to conventional
practices.

 To stimulate attitude change

among peer group members.

Conversation provides a context

for testing new concepts and
positions —a kind of rehearsal for
initiating change itself.
 TALKING TOILETS
Is it really so difficult to talk about toilets?

Once basic taboos are broken,

people tend to be fascinated by
the subject.

THE CHALLENGE:
HOW to get people talking
about toilets in a
meaningful and
constructive manner?
 SARAR METHODOLOGY
Self-esteem
Associative strengths
Resourcefulness
Action planning
Responsibility
Participatory methodologies can play
a crucial role in overcoming
resistances, making decisions and
changing behavior.
 SARAR - Historical Highlights
Dr. Lyra Srinivasan - Humanistic psychology, concientizacion, Gandhi.

Asia (VERC), Africa, Latin America (Sarar Capacitación SC) and USA
(World Education).

1983-1989 - PROWWESS/UNDP --adapted to W&S sector.

UNICEF –MOH/Mexico -– Diarrhea control package

2000-2005 –- WSP/UNDP-WB /PROWWESS

PHAST Initiative: Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation

with WHO and collaboration of UNICEF, etc.

SANRES - EcoSanRes = SARAR + Ecosan : El Salvador / Bolivia / Mexico

UNDP / WaterAid / UNICEF / WHO etc. -- S Af, Mozambique, Kenya,

Central Asia, China, Mongolia
 SARAR PARTICIPATORY
METHODS & TOOLS

Assessment
For Training and
Planning Community Promotion and
Education
Didactic/
Information

Monitoring
SARAR I would like to
7
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE demonstrate the
solution to others.
CONTINUUM
6 I'm ready to try
some action.
5
I see the problem
CAPACITY-
and I want to know more.
BUILDING

AWARENESS- 4
RAISING Yes, there is a problem,
But I have my fears.
3
Yes, there is a problem,
But I have my doubts.
2
There may be a problem,
But it is not my responsibility.
1
There is no problem.
 RESISTANCE TO CHANGE CONTINUUM

Diagnostic tool to assess the psyco-

social context of a community or
group, in order to determine what
communication strategy or approach
is most appropriate.
 WATER AND NUTRIENT FLOW MAPS

A community mapping exercise helps the community to identify critical problems

and posible interventions, including toilets, greywater and solid waste
management.
Unserialized Posters Pocket Chart

Creative/expressive needs Quantitative –qualitative

assessment tool for assessment of toilet use and
externalizing interpersonal preferences –including gender,
social dynamics and cultural socio-economic and territorial
values and taboos. variables.
 NURSE TANAKA CONTAMINATION ROUTES

To identify common local health

problems and determine which
could be prevented through
WASH interventios.
Raise awareness feacal-oral
infection vectors and identify
possible barriers.
THE SANITATION LADDER

Permits the community to identify and compare the range of basic sanitation
technologies available to them -- and to decide which options would be most
appropriate given the particular local context.
 ECOSAN PUZZLE 3-PILE SORTING

To assess and compare hygiene and

Increases understanding of sanitation related behaviors
sanitation as a system and according to risk criteria and
stimulates reflection on relative relative feasability to modify or
risk, gender roles, etc. imporave.
STORY WITH A GAP PLANNING POSTERS

Planning tools for visualizing and setting goals and priorityzing

the steps leading to the desired change.
PROGRAM EXPERIENCES
KYRGYZSTAN
August 1999 --SARAR /PHAST Workshop in Osh, Ferghana Valley -
UNICEF - SIE/IWS (Secrétariat International de l'Eau ). --
Development of local tool kits and trained trainers.

April 2003 -- Ecosan Workshop – Village leaders from Kyrgyzstan and

Uzbekistan. Central Asian Alliance for Water (CAAW), SIE/IWS,
UNDP/BDP
2008 – WECF - CAAW – HfH :
Empowermnent and Local Action
Program–
•Village Water Committees
•Village Youth Parliament
•Hygiene and sanitation promotion
•Construction of household & school
ecosan toilets
•Reuse: Training of biofarmers'
communities
•Demonstrations on safe sanitation
and water usage Toilet siting:
DRIVERS = Fertilizer and convenience
MOZAMBIQUE
March 2000 - Lichinga, Niassa
Province, Bringing Environmental
Sanitation and Hygiene Into the Mix
– WaterAid – UNDP – ESTAMOS – Govt.

Sanitation ladder  Sanitation

matrix (scoring) + PHAST = Entry
point for fossa alterna and arborloo
program (P. Morgan)

September 2002 - WaterAid

Stakeholder workshop, Zambezia,
Mozambique.

2008 - Feliciano dos Santos -

Goldman Prize Winner, Moçambique
http://www.hesperian.org/Santos.php
Fossa Alterna:
Permanence – convenience - fertilizer
REACHING THE MDGS:
EQUITY AND JUSTICE AS WELL
AS RESULTS
Though less than expected, resources are available for
simple, cheap interventions that can accelerate progress
towards the MDGs. Results –based management has been the
key to increasing access to education and health care, but it
does little to change the political, social and economic
conditions that make people poor. Unless there is a better
balance between the drive to achieve measurable impact,
investments in long-term poverty-eradication measures, and
the creation of space where poor people can discuss and
develop strategies for achieving equality and social justice,
it will not be as easy to make poverty history as many
people think.

Reaching the MDGs: equality and justice as well as results

REF – Thomas Franklin –– Development in Practice, Vol 18, No 3, June
Senior policy advisor HIV/AIDS UNICEF
2008-08-06
IN OTHER WORDS, THE HOW MATTERS.

 Rapid impact is biased in favour of short-term

responses to specific problems

 People living in extreme poverty face a bewildering

array of more complex issues deeply engrained within
the fabric of society.

 The international community has a commitment to the

human-rights principles of self-determination,
participation and inclusion.

 Pursuit of the quick-fix can distort the relationship

between the rich… and those in need of assistance.
 TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
adult <-> adult
parent <-> child
child <-> child

- Adult: more balanced, mature,

communication between equals,
respect

- Parent: critical (authoritarian),

protective (overprotective).

-Child: obedient, submissive,

rebellious, dependent

- Niño/niña: playful, creative,

Contexts: mischievous
• Family
• Work
• Community
Subject: warmest greetings
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008
From: teshome regassa tregassa@hotmail.com

DEAR RON SAWYER

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS? HOW IS EVERYTHING?
MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER AND MYSELF ARE FINE
I COULD NOT GET YOUR ADDRESS / DID NOT HEAR FROM YOU FOR LONG TIME.

I AM WORKING FOR THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF ETHIOPIA AS TEAM LEADER FOR

THE TRAINING OF HEALTH EXTENSION WORKERS.
RON WHAT YOU DID AS PHAST IS FANTASTICALLY ATTRACTIVE TO EVERYBODY IN
ETHIOPIA. IF WE MEET OR COMMUNICATE, WE CAN DO SOME MIRACULOUS THINGS.
WE CAN MERGE WITH HEALTH EXTENSION WHICH IS INNOVATIVE AND FLASHIP
PROGRAMME IN ETHIOPIA. I DID MY MSC IN UK IN HEALTH EDUCATION AND
PROMOTION/ HEALTH COMMUNICATION/ WHICH IS REALLY VERY HELPFUL TO WORK
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS OF THIS TYPE.

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU VERY SOON,

WITH VERY BEST REGARDS

GOD BLESS YOU
TESHOME REGASSA
¡Gracias por su atención!

rsawyer@sarar-t.org

SARAR TRANSFORMACIÓN S.C.

AP 8, Tepoztlán Morelos 62520 México

Tel: +52 (739) 395-0364 /+52 (739) 395-7505
sarar@laneta.apc.org

http://www.sarar-t.org