Coordinator of the Malaita province Community Lead Total Sanitation (CLTS), Tony Wale says the program has positively rolled out smoothly in the province.
He told Sunday Star that a total of 28 communities from ward 7, 8 and 9 in Malaita have positively engaged in the project,since its establishment in2016.
Wale explained that at this stage, the CLTS project is still piloted at the Northern region of Malaita and wish to see it expanded to other parts of the province in the near future.
The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate open defecation (OD).
Communities are facilitated to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation (OD) and take their own action to become ODF (open defecation free).
Mr Wale said that most communities are responding well to the project and more communities are expected to engage in the program.
“At this stage, the program is looking good, more people and community leaders are responding well to the project.
“This year, we will continue with this program at the Northern region of Malaita until June,” Wale said.
He added that they will be looking at targeting schools with CLTS program, so that the school children can learn how to keep themselves healthy at home.
The CLTS program in North Malaita was jointly supported by Malaita province government, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, RWASH, UNICEF, CARITAS, and community leaders.
The Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an approach used mainly in developing countries to improve sanitation and hygiene practices in a community.
It focuses on spontaneous and long-lasting behaviour change of an entire community.
The goal of CLTS is to end open defecation by triggering communities. The term “triggering” is central to the CLTS process.
It refers to ways of igniting community interest in ending open defecation, usually by building simple toilets, such as pit latrines.
CLTS involves actions leading to increased self-respect and pride in one’s community.
It also involves shame and disgust about one’s own open defecation behaviours.
The concept was developed around the year 2000 by Kamal Kar for rural areas in Bangladesh.
CLTS became an established approach around 2011.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
In Auki
