| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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With the astounding record of West Bengal in open defecation, the District Administration decided in late 2012 to bring in a change through Community Participation. A community led house to house Survey was carried out in the entire district during December 2012 – January, 2013. Women SHG motivators doubled as enumerators and Supervisors for the survey. Survey identified around 3,09,881 households (Corresponding to around 1.5 million people) without toilet/ access to toilet, out of a total of 10,10456 rural households, and thus practicing open defecation.
A. Behavioural Change :- Through (1) extensive community mobilization (2) imaginative use of innovative and participatory IEC activities.
First step towards community mobilization was to orient the peoples representatives of all strata through extensive interactive training programmes; workshops and field visits in the month of March – April, 2013. (b) Educational Institutions and school children were made integral part of the campaign for awareness generation and need for sanitary latrines to parents/ households. ‘Sabar Souchagar pledge taking’ was made compulsory in all schools(4212 schools with 8.2 hundred thousand children) on every Monday ensuring spread of awareness. (c) Women SHGs were identified and trained to become ‘Rural Sanitary Mart’ to execute the project. The involvement of women SHG Groups ensured greater involvement and sensitization of women in the entire movement . (d) mobilization and participation of faith organisations and spiritual leaders ensured that the religious melas and festivals (plenty in India) became the perfect launch pad for awareness generations. (e) involvement of health workers and sanitary workers highlighting the healthy hazards of open defecation.
2. Imaginative use of innovative and participatory IEC activities :
Including :-
a. Sabar Souchagar pledge taking in all schools of the district :
b. SHG women cycle rally in all the villages
c. Mini Marathon at all Block Headquarters
d. Mega Signature campaign at all sub urban areas
e. Hot Air Balloon with sanitation messages
f. Sanitation Express
g. Human chain with pledge against open defecation from one end to the other end of the district, covering a distance of 116 km involving 1.16 hundred thousand persons.
h. Using temple gatherings; Friday prayers and Sunday mass in spreading the message
(B) Convergence model towards ensuring latrine access for all : The unique feature of Sabar Souchagar initiative is the designing and execution of a convergence model by pooling in resources available from various sector specific Programmes of the Government .
The construction under ‘Sabar Souchagar’ movement was started on a pilot basis in 17 Gram Panchayats (Lowest tire of local self-government responsible for rural development for an average 20,000 population) from 15th July, 2013 by observing ‘Nadia Sanitation Day’ with a workshop at all levels of administration. Based on the experience from pilot study, after making necessary amendment, Sabar Souchagar model was extended to all 187 Gram Panchayats of the district from 2nd October, 2013 with an ‘Oath of affirmation’ against open defecation and a pledge for making the district open defecation free at all villages. Few Hundred thousands of people participated in the Oath of affirmation across the district.
Execution of the project was entrusted with ‘Rural Sanitation Mart’ on behalf of the gram panchayet . The women SHG clusters were identified and trained to become Rural Sanitary Mart. Each Rural Sanitary Mart was assigned with the task of execution of the project in two gram panchayats (i.e. around 3500 toilets to be constructed). Every day target of construction for sanitary mart were fixed at 10-12 households sanitary latrine to be constructed per Gram Panchayat to complete the process by 30th January, 2015.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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• The Primary Stake holders were the community members who were sensitised and mobilized through extensive participatory method and imaginative IEC activities for a sustained period. Once convinced, the entire movement was taken over and led by the community members themselves.
• Civil servants: The District Magistrate who belong to Indian Administrative Service (IAS), as the head of administration at the district level took the challenge and provided leadership from the front and the entire programme was carried out through his combined vision along with a set of dedicated civil servants working under his command.
• Public Institutions : The three tire Panchayati Raj Institution, all run by elected Peoples representatives, were the key Players in the formulation and execution of the project.
• NGO’s: Sanitary marts which are basically CBO’s were the main executor of the programme. Sanitary Mart, after training and capacity building, transformed into self sufficient rural Service delivery system for rural sanitation and hygiene promotion to sustain the project.
• Organizations : The Women Self help Group clusters, once trained and became part of the programme turned out to be the real game changer. Their presence as executing agency ensured Greater involvement and Sensitisation of women in the entire movement .
• Private Sector: Private sector agencies like ONGC and SEW chipped in with their CSR fund in supporting and supplementing the social mobilization and sensitizations part.
• Educational Institutions : Educational Institutions and school children became integral part of the movement spreading the need for sanitary latrines to their households.
• Faith Organizations : Religious leaders and faith organizations once motivated and mobilized became focal point of change.
• Other Organizations: State and central Government Panchayat and Rural Development Department and State Sanitation Cell rendered all advise and technical expertise for the movement.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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• Financial Resource : Sabar Souchagar model is distinct with regards to mobilization of resources and in its funding pattern. Each IHHL( Individual household latrine) under the model costs Rs. 10,000.00. Realising the resource constraints of the Government, a new model on proportionate fund sharing pattern was formulated, enhancing and optimising the output. Thus the funds already available with the wage employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS - the funds of which are available to all districts since 2006) was used to pay wages part for toilet construction, like earth work; digging of pit etc. Similarly, the amount available under the National Sanitation Programme (Nirmal Bharat Abhijan – the funds which are available from 2003) was sourced to pay the material cost of construction like mortar, cement, brick etc. To ensure ownership by individuals concerned beneficiary contribution was made mandatory @ a minimum of 10% of the total cost and were encouraged to offer labour ( health permitting) in lieu of beneficiary payment in cash. Thus the project was actually executed without brothering the already resource crunch government for any special financial allocation for the project - which made it extremely sustainable and replicable.
• Human resource : Community mobilization towards behavioural change is the crux of the scheme. The community mobilization was achieved through sustained and participatory activities involving peoples representatives at all strata; educational institutions and school children from all schools (4212 schools with around 8.2 hundred thousand students); the women from around 10,200 women SHG group (@ 10- 12 members per group); faith organisation and religious leaders; health workers and sanitation workers etc.
The actual construction of latrines were executed through ‘Rural Sanitary Marts’, most of them being women SHG’s. Once selected and trained the woman SHGs ensured greater involvement and sensitization of the community as a whole; they became change agents and ‘ambassadors’ for rest of the village. Availability of trained man power, especially skilled / semi skilled masons was a great problem initially which was sorted out by bringing in the concept of Rural sanitary Mart ( RSM) and converting existing SHG clusters as RSMs and also through continuous skill up gradation trainings through permanent mason training centres.
The SHG resource persons were also engaged as Sabar Souchagar facilitators @ 1 per block and Sabar Souchagar motivators @ 1 per Gram Panchayat for motivation and facilitations of the entire work.
The officers and staffs engaged for the work are generally regular employees of the government at district and sub-district levels.
• Technical resource: A technically feasible design of toilet which is water efficient, more hygienic and durable was formulated after extensive deliberations with all stake holder and government agencies and outside experts like SIPRD; Kalyani University & UNICEF.
Once the model was ready a series of workshops and hands on trainings were conducted with the stake holders to popularise the model . The district administration also set up permanent mason training centres for technical training to maintain and upgrade the technical resources.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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(a) Mass community mobilization leading to demand generation and behavioural change : The individuals, and thus the community, were identified as the primary stake holder, and mass mobilization of the community was made the centre theme. Community mobilization was systematically planned and executed to ensure sensitization, training and participation of peoples representatives: educational institutions and school children; women SHG members and AWW workers; faith organisation and religious leaders; health workers and sanitation workers through sustained and participatory activities. Once the community at different strata were systematically sensitized about the health hazards associated with open defecation, the community became so sensitized and mobilized that demand generation never became an issue with Sabar Souchagar and the change in behaviour pattern became inevitable.
(b) Women as change agents: the most significant game changer in the entire initiative was participation of women. The women SHG groups selected and trained to became executors of the programme as ‘ Rural Sanitary Mart ensured: wider community participation; greater involvement and sensitization of women in the entire movement; women becoming catalyst and ambassadors of the programme for rest of the community. It also ensured financial and livelihood empowerment of women group. (On an average each SHG group get to construct 3500 toilets within a period of around 18 months i.e. 200 toilets per month, which involves around Rs. 2 million worth economic activity per month).
(c) Massive creation of household latrines: the Sabar Souchagar convergence model succeeded in creating a record number of latrines within a short period, thus providing latrine access to a few hundred thousand people who were otherwise forced to practice open defecation. From 15th July, 2013 to 30th September, 2014 they have been able to complete construction of 1.42 hundred thousand household latrines and another 37000 latrines are under various stages of completion. With this momentum they intended to complete the remaining 1.4 hundred thousand latrines by 30th January, 2015 to provide universal latrine access and to make the district open defecation free
D) Introduction of a new concept : Participatory planning, involvement of key stakeholders in the process, involvement of elected representatives, organising joint reviews, and implementing the programme in a mission mode approach inspired the entire functionaries of all departments and a strong positive message for the programme spread, that increased the confidence of the stakeholders and ownership and conviction in the process.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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(a) Being a community led programme, the participation of community at all levels of planning, designing, execution and monitoring ensured community supervision and monitoring of the entire movement . After the sensitization and mobilization of the community at various strata, peer pressure at village and community level became the most effective reasons and incentive for change and accepting Sabar Souchagar model.
(b) Involvement of facilitators and motivators : System of Facilitators and Motivators were introduced for community monitoring of the programme. The facilitators and motivators are basically trained resource persons from other SHG groups of the district who were assigned specific block and Gram Panchayets with the responsibility of independently monitoring and motivating the progress of work.
(c) Involvement of Government Officials : All government officials starting from district level down to village level, were essentially engaged in the systematic supervision and monitoring of Sabar Souchagar process.
A monitoring calendar was devised and followed- where in the progress is reviewed at Gram Panchayet level on every 2nd Friday ; at block level on every 3rd Friday; at Sub divisional level on every 4th Friday and at district level on every 1st Friday of the month with stake holder representatives.
(d) A weekly reporting format was devised and used for constant monitoring of the programme. Week and slow running Gram Panchayets and Sanitary marts were inspected regularly and supplemented.
(e) Citizens feedback : Regular meetings with PRIs and SHGs and CSO partners provided the platform for regular feedback on the programme implementation and led to improving the response towards service delivery and customer satisfaction.
(g) Web monitoring : It was made mandatory for the sanitary mart to submit individual completion certificate along with photograph of beneficiary to block level. Block level technical persons were assigned to justify the report after physical verification. Once inspection is completed same data was uploaded in the web site of MDWS, Government of India for monitoring the progress.
(h) SMS based monitoring : An exclusive SMS portal was developed where in it was made mandatory for all sanitary marts and supervising agencies to report progress of individual work in SMS formats. In case of slow progress, automatic SMS alerts were issued to the agencies.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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(a) Old habits die hard : Open defecation as a centuries old habit has ingrained in to the daily life of rural masses in India. Hence the biggest obstacle in successful execution of the project was bringing in behavioural change. Realising the obstacle, the Sabar Souchagar model was designed as a community led initiative where in the main thrust is on mass community mobilisation. The mass community mobilisation was achieved through sustained participatory IEC activities involving the peoples representatives of rural administration, educational institutions and school children, women through SHG Clusters and Anganwadis; faith organisations and religious leaders; health workers and sanitation workers etc. The systematic and planned IEC activities along with peer pressure was successful in overcoming the obstacle towards behavioural change.
(b) Acute shortage of trained manpower : Construction of one latrine required 9 unskilled person days and 3 skilled person days. Requirement of skilled/semi-skilled workers were so huge that it became a big obstacle in keeping up the momentum of construction. To address the issue, CBO’s in the form of SHG Clusters were engaged as Rural Sanitary Marts as main executor of initiative and permanent Mason training centres were started for imparting carpenters training to persons from these marts.
(c) Resource crunch: The crunch of available resources is the main obstacle in the execution of any public programmes of this proportion; with Rs. 10,000=00 each for every latrine, the total requirement of fund was around Rs 3000 million for the initiative. To overcome the obstacle the initiative was designed in such a way that no special financial allocation was required for executing the project. The model has an inbuilt design of proportionate pooling in of resources already available with various sectors specific scheme of the government .
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