Toilet Inauguration

T for Toilet, T for Temple-Toilet Inauguration

Date:- 18-09-2013, Village:- Vadasar.

We go to the temple to cure impurity of mind, and to the toilet to cure impurity of body.

According to our survey, 56% of families in the 3 villages do not have a toilet. We know that while building a toilet us easy, building the habits and mindsets to use a toilet is hard, and we aimed to create both the skills to build a toilet and mindset to use a toilet through our inauguration in Vadasar village.  We invited the 20 members of our Youth sanitation leadership training to this inauguration so they could learn and replicate the program in their villages.

Participants

• ·         Village primary school children
• ·         Village women
• ·         Primary school teachers
• ·         Government officers
• ·         Other village members
• ·         20 members trained at our 3-day training at ESI

·          To build the skills to create a toilet

•       We inputted a demonstration toilet in the 3 villages, with instructions for how to build a toilet, and information about the cost of a toilet and how to maintain a toilet.

To build the mindsets to use a toilet

•       We invited representatives of Tata Housing to share the importance of using toilets
•     J   Jayeshbhai Patel, Director of ESI shared why toilets should be revered as temples       
•      We inaugurated the toilets through a ceremony (lighting a diya, breaking a coconut, and giving it a name) to transfer the cultural attitudes that people give to temples to toilets.

The pilgrimage tour of sanitation

Since last 4 Months we have been working in the villages of vadsar, moti bhoyan and khatraj. Through the medium of our service on wheels (Nandini mobile van) we integrated a holistic activity for a period of nine days in the villages and during these activities, we were able to establish a beautiful relationship with villagers. Because of the feeling of a close knit family, we felt the need to introduce them to our organization and the initiatives of TATA Housing .

We chose 50 people including the youth, the village sarpanch, panchayat representatives, preschool workers, primary school teachers and the women groups. On the 25^th of June 2013, the selected people were brought to the ESI campus at Sughad through Khushi Masti Van.  They were welcomed with great celebrations that included music and tagging of broom, water drop and latrine model tags. After that they were provided tea and snacks. We then too them on a campus darshan that taught that there is nothing called waste and everything is invest.  They were then taken to Sattva hall where we invited guests like TDO (Taluka Development Officer, Kalol). TATA Housing representative and ESI Director- Jayeshbhai. The session started with Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan – Vaishnava Jan to. After that the participants themselves welcomed the guests. The session was inaugurated with lighting the lamp. Then Sureshbhai introduced the project and the guests to the participants.

Then guests shared their thoughts and feelings about the project wherein the TATA Housing representative Shri Ritesh Darji also shared his thoughts on the project and the various activities. The TDO spoke on importance of toilets and the support of the government on building toilets and how to avail the support of the government for building toilets. Jayeshbhai shared his experience about the village and how

you can support each other and build an ideal village. The most important thing that he shared was that the village will change if you change yourself. How to change bad habits and become an ideal model for others. How the participants can start this and then multiple these changes in others. He said that ‘Trips to the toilet will save trips to the doctor ‘. He spoke about spirituality and inner cleanliness. He also shared his father’s dedication for toilet-sanitation.

Lastly Sureshbhai shared the future steps of the initiative. After a five minute silence they had group photograph post which all them dispersed towards Annapurna to have lunch. They enjoyed the entire experience and this reflected in the smiles on the faces on everyone. The volunteer team served food to the participants. Everyone enjoyed the food like a Prasad. Then they were taken to the Safai Vidyalaya where they saw the newly built toilet café, learnt how make ideal home, ideal street and ideal village. And then the Pilgrimage place Sabarmati Ashram where Gandhiji stayed for 12 years where they learnt about the life and death of Gandhi, saw Hruday Kunj where he lived. The intention behind taking them there was to introduce them to Gandhi’s concept of Gram swaraj and his dream of an ideal village that is self sustainable in all respects. Then we told them inspirirational stories of Vinoba bhave, Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi.  We spent more than and 2.5 hrs in Gandhi Ashram. Then we took them to Manav Sadhna where taught how to provide value based education to little children and how to enhance the talent the skill in children and help them realize their true potential. Then we also took them to Ashram school where more than 150 children live and study together and create and apply good values there in their day to day lives. This went on till 5.30 p.m and returned their villages with the volunteers in the Khushi Masti Van with renewed spirit and energy.

They promised to all of us that they will start with themselves and make cleanliness, a value.

Value-based training for Tata Housing villages youth

Overview  

In order to create leaders of sanitation in the villages of Vadasar, Motibhoyan and Khatraj (Kalol block, Gandhinagar District), we invited a 6-member delegation from each village (3 youth workers, a primary school teacher, an anganwadi worker, a village panchayat member, an asha worker) and 2 block officers to a 3-day training workshop at Environment Sanitation Institute, Sughad, 16-18 September 2013.

Topics and sessions

Topic 1: Being the change through values. We strove to inculcate strong values and habits in participants through:

·         Daily prayer, safai, inspirational readings and circles of sharing.

·         Sharing of Gandhiji’s philosophy through visit to Sabarmati Ashram.

Topic 2: Sanitation and health. 

We trained participants on technical sanitation skills and habits through:

·         Overview of Tata Housing and how we can work together to build model villages

·         Creating a vision of sanitation in villages with Jayeshbhai Patel, Director of ESI

·         Government Sanitation Schemes with two Taluka Panchayat members

·         Preventing water-borne diseases with Devenderbhai of ESI.

·      Building strong sanitation and nutrition for children with Sharmishtaben, principal of anganwadi worker training centre.

·         Low cost sustainable Rural sanitation technology.

·         Showing them Documentary about sanitation, water & health. 

Topic 3: Leading others. 

We introduced participants to inspirational community leaders through:

·     Field visit to Safai Vidyalaya and Manav Sadhna, two NGOs based at the Gandhi Ashram working with sanitation, education and community development

·         Toilet inauguration in Vadasar village.

·         Session on becoming a community leader with Christopher Loman, leader in the Loving Community leprosy community in Ahmedabad

·         Session on Gram Swaraj, spirituality and service with Gopaldada, follower of Gandhiji and Vinoba Bhave,

Feedback. Participants stated that they learned the following from the program:

·         Why toilets are important for the social, economic and physical health of a cillage

·         How to care for children in terms of sanitation

·         How to build unity in a village