Campaign to promote hygiene and sanitation in the commune of Notsé

The commune of Notsé, one of the four communities in which the NGO Enterprises Territories and Development (ETD) operates under the Support Program for Strengthening Local Participatory Democracy for Sustainable Development (PARDL-DD), has completed an awareness campaign in schools on hygiene and sanitation.

From May 22 to June 08, 2018, when the big rainy season begins with its share of possible waterborne diseases, the commune of Notsé organized an awareness campaign on hygiene and sanitation with the support of the Hygiene Committees and sanitation (CHA).

These committees, which have been set up in the District Development Committees (CDQs), have been equipped with awareness-raising tools and the health and safety equipment needed to carry out community actions and together with the three pre-collection garbage collection structures. However, the problem of insalubrity persists and we still find in the town some small dumps around wild houses, defecation in the open, and sewage runoff in neighborhoods.

As a result, it was during the campaign to raise the awareness of first and second graders with Phast (Participation in the transformation of hygiene and sanitation). Indeed, Phast is a tool that promotes hygiene behaviors to reduce diarrheal diseases, and promotes community management of water and sanitation facilities.

In schools, through illustrative images, there was talk of AMP members presenting students in the court with deplorable situations and asking them what they should do to solve the problems they identified. Also, the role of the facilitators was to facilitate the students’ reflections.

After the sensitization at the evangelical primary school in Naolo, here are the reactions of some students we interviewed: “We were told that it is not good to poop on the ground: we were told cover the foods and drink the drinking water. When I get home, I’ll tell mom and dad that. ” “We were told to wash our hands before eating and when we were in the toilet”; “I remember that it’s not good to throw things down because it brings sickness and you can not go to school anymore. I want to become a nurse. ”

It must be said that this awareness campaign on hygiene and sanitation conducted by Water and Sanitation for Africa-Togo (EEA) that continues in places of worship is part of the second phase of the Water Project and sanitation of Notsé (PEAN2). It is funded by the European Union, also a partner of ETD.