COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HYGIENE AWARENESS REPORT

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction: ........................................................................................................................... 3

2.0 Background of the project. ....................................................................................................... 3

3.0 Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 3

5.0 Describe the activities and Stakeholders engagement. .................................................................. 4

6.0 Key Achievement of the Project. ............................................................................................... 8

7.0 Lessons Learnt and Success Stories ........................................................................................... 9

10.0 Conclusions. ........................................................................................................................11

1.0 Introduction:

Impact Health Organization (IHO) carried health and hygiene awareness through hygiene

promoters in the eight payams (Ifwotu, Imurok, Kudo, Nyong, Bur, Hiyala and Himodonge) of

Greater Torit County, where the communities are in chronic emergency wash needs, therefore the

hygiene awareness sessions were to promote behavioral change through good hygiene practices

among vulnerable population. The report therefore describes the whole process/stages/procedures

which were undertaken by Impact Health Organization (IHO) before, during and after the

rehabilitation works, it also describes the stake holder’s involved, key achievements, lessons

learnt, success stories, challenges and recommendations.

2.0 Background of the project.

The “Emergency prevention and control of WASH related disease outbreak among vulnerable

amongst IDP, Returnees and Host population” aims at reducing the risk WASH disease outbreak

including cholera while addressing poor WASH services which could result in high malnutrition

and GBV risks. The 6 months, SSHF funded project will be implemented in Torit County Formally

Eastern Equatoria between August 2018 and January 2019. The project shall undertake the

following activities.1. Rehabilitation of 40 hand pumps, 2. Distribution of WASH NFIs to 2000

vulnerable households, 3.Train 40 community hygiene promoters, 4. Train 200 water management

committee members and, 5.Conduct hygiene awareness campaigns, 6.Distribution latrine digging

kits and mobilize communities to undertake household latrine construction. The project intends to

benefit 15000 people majority of whom are women and children including malnourished children,

pregnant and lactating mothers. This projects seeks to ensure continuity of the current IHO WASH

Interventions in Torit County to support

Communities affected by conflict and those at risk cholera outbreak.

3.0 Objectives

To main aim health and hygiene awareness is to ensure vulnerable population access

hygiene promotion and minimum WASH packages both at household and public places.

4.0 Methodology.

Training of Community Health and Hygiene Promoters. The CHHPs are first trained

before they could carry out health and hygiene awareness in the communities.

Household visit. The community health and hygiene promoters moved to the individual

households to disseminate hygiene and health messages.

Hygiene Campaigns. The hygiene promoters disseminate health and hygiene awareness

to a mass gathering in public places such as markets.

5.0 Describe the activities and Stakeholders engagement.

5.1 Meeting with the stakeholders.

5.1.1 County Health Department

IHO WASH team met with the county health department, to brief it about the wash project which

is to be implemented in the eight payams (Ifwotu, Imurok, Kudo, Nyong, Bur, Hiyala Himodonge)

of Torit County and during the meeting the county Health department gave the following remarks;

The CHD gave a briefing about the health and hygiene status in the county, which is chronic

situation. The communities lack knowledge of good hygiene practices, the sanitation situation is

not good, communities do open defecation and hygiene practices are poor. IHO wash team and the

CHD made a frame work on the implementation of the project. The CHD also encouraged the IHO

WASH team to be link up with other nutrition implementing partners and the health facilities.

County Health Department (CHD) County Health Department (CHD)

5.1.2 Local Chiefs.

IHO WASH team with a representative from CHD met with local chiefs to describe about the

project which is to be implemented in their locations. The local chiefs also helped in mobilization

of the community members were also briefed about the project and what is expected from them

during the project implementation process.

Community meeting Community meeting

Training of Community Health and Hygiene Promoters (CHHP).

The Hygiene Promoters to be trained were identified by IHO WASH team through the health

facilities in the targeted locations, a total of 40 members were identified. The hygiene promoters

identified were then collected in one location for a training, so as to equip them with knowledge

and skills in carrying out hygiene promotions. The training was facilitated by both IHO WASH

team and representatives from the CHD and the following topics were emphasized on; Objectives

of the training, qualities of a good hygiene promoters, Roles and responsibilities of hygiene

promoters, hand washing , Cholera, ORS, safe sanitation, safe food preparation, personal hygiene,

crosscutting issues on aids and nutrition, monitoring tools to be used.

Training of Hygiene Promoters Training of Hygiene Promoters

5.3 House hold Visits.

The hygiene promoter moved in pairs to the households, so that they can support each other while

disseminating the hygiene messages. The hygiene promoters also took the information of the

households such as household head name, status of the hold (IDPs/Host community) and the

number of the individuals that have received the awareness. The hygiene promoters during their

sessions carried out practical sessions in hand washing, safe sanitation, preparation of ORS and

Salt Sugar Solution (SSS). The hygiene promoters also carried out follow up for the households

that had been reached with the hygiene awareness to find out whether they had improved on their

hygiene behaviors. The hygiene promoters also worked under close supervision of IHO hygiene

supervisor and representatives from the county health department.

5.4 Hygiene Campaigns.

This is another mode the hygiene promoters used to disseminate hygiene awareness to the

communities and this was conducted in public and social places such as Markets, Bus parks, Big

trees used for communal gathering etc. The government representatives and local chiefs were also

present during the hygiene campaigns. The hygiene promoters carried out the following activities

such as Drama, Poems etc.

6.0 Key Achievement of the Project.

6.1 Household Visits. During the household visits, the hygiene promoters reached the house holds

below while disseminating health and hygiene awareness. The following messages were

disseminated such as hand washing, safe sanitation, ORS preparation, Safe food preparation

Cholera etc.

Table 6.1.1

S/No. Payam Household Total beneficiaries

01 Torit 1837 8,906

02 Hiyala 1220 5330

03 Bur 1244 4627

04 Ifwotu 502 2603

05 Imurok 270 1723

06 Kudo 407 2145

07 Himodonge 511 2544

08 Total 5,919 25,334

6.2 Hygiene Campaigns. The hygiene promoters disseminated health and hygiene awareness to a

mass gathering especially in public places such as markets, Bus parks, Communal big trees used

for gatherings, health facilities etc. There are twenty number of campaigns which were conducted

in the locations shown in the table below;

Table 6.2.1

S/No. Payams No. of Hygiene

Campaigns Conducted

No. of Individuals reached through the

hygiene campaigns.

01 Nyong 06 1500

02 Hiyala 03 900

03 Bur 04 1120

04 Imurok 02 340

05 Kudo 05 1300

06 Total 20 5160

7.0 Lessons Learnt and Success Stories

Involvement of the community members, local chiefs and county authorities ensures

smooth running of the activities,

The level of community participation for the activities varies from one location to another,

Training of water management committees before rehabilitation process ensures

community participation and

When travelling to the field locations security consultations should be made first.

7.1 Success Stories

For the success stories are that the community members are improving on their hygiene

behaviors and some community members are seen constructing their own latrines.

8.0 Challenges

No Network Connection. Most of the areas has no network connection since most of them

were under Viva cell network which slowed down the follow up of the work for the hygiene

promoters.

Poor/Bad Roads. The conditions of the roads connecting to the field locations are in poor

conditions, there are very many pot holes which slows down the reach time to the desired

location, during supervision of the hygiene promoters.

Inadequate transport means, the one vehicle could not allow the supervision of hygiene

promoters when it’s used in carrying out other activities such as borehole rehabilitations,

latrine supervision.

There was demand of items such as IDs cards, Handbags, IEC charts from the hygiene

promoters.

The Community members were demanding the hygiene promoters with some WASH

items.

Some members were resistant in giving out information about their households to the

hygiene promoters during hygiene awareness.

Some community members could not be available in the morning hours and could only be

reached during late hours (evening).

9.0 Recommendations.

There is need for continuous health and hygiene awareness in the communities of greater

Torit County because behavioral change is gradual process and the increasing number of

the returnees from the refugee camps.

There is need to add more transport means such as motor bike which will ensure proper

supervision of the hygiene promoters.

10.0 Conclusions.

Though there were some challenges, the whole rehabilitation process went on smoothly with high

level of community participation and very many boreholes worked on as soon as possible.