Transformation of ODF village-Sumer, initiated with “shit talk”

The District Administration of Guna in Madhya Pradesh (India) together with UNICEF and KNOWLEDGE LINKS (a private resource agency) started implementing a dream of reaching ODF status using the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach. CLTS is now being implemented in all 286 villages of the Block; Sumer village is one of the success villages which achieved ODF status after only a couple of months. This is the story of their journey.

Sumer is a small and scattered village of 300 inhabitants, living in 32 households; the residents are mostly from tribal ethnic origin, mostly living in thatched houses. The village is pretty remote and often inaccessible during rainy seasons. Not a single household had a toilet and the village’s entire population was defecating in the open since its establishment.

Collective decision for ODF: Gradually moving to sanitation ladder Sumer village was triggered on 18th Aug. 2011. The focus was given on igniting a change in sanitation behaviour rather than constructing toilets, and the concentration was on the entire community rather than on individual behaviours. The process started by enabling people to do their own sanitation profile through appraisal, observation and analysis of their practices of open defecation and the effects these have.

Raghu, a young natural leader from Sumer village, stated that “the idea that we were spoiling our own village environment never stroke to our minds. We never thought that the shit that we left in the open returned back to us through chicken, flies etc. We also realised that we are, in a way, offering shit to our cows, which we worship. But soon after triggering, we decided to stop defecating in the open by covering shit with mud.” Almost everyone religiously followed this practice; digging small pits in several areas, and covering the faeces with soil after defecation rapidly became the common practice of all villagers and remained as such for more than 3 months.

Local innovation: use of local material and volunteerism for sustainable low-cost sanitation facility The villagers then realised that digging small holes and covering excreta is tedious in the long-run and that toilets are needed. A mason training was organized at District level, in which Raghu, Balram and Kanhaiya participated. The very first toilet of Sumer village was constructed at Raghu’s house. The 3 friends then decided to help their fellow villagers as masons volunteers, offering free labour to anyone purchasing the required material. This ignited the villagers’ spirit even further and almost everyone started digging their own pits. However, few were still in the doldrums and had not started. One villager, for instance, was physically challenged and unable to dig his pit; the 3 volunteers constructed his toilet in record time. The village’s first toilets were nearly complete after

1 SUMER, ODF village (MP, India)

barely 10 days; these could, however, not be used since the pit covers were missing, and only available at expensive rates from town. Villagers then started exploring various masonry options using locally available materials.

Solidarity became also visible in many other ways. One better-off villager, Lakshman Singh, offered 10,000 bricks and 10 bags of cement to those willing to construct a toilet and others lent money to purchase pans and p-traps. Lunaji, an elder living his life like a saint became the chairperson of the Village Sanitation Committee and helped in counselling those who were not yet fully convinced.

On 15th December 2011, the villagers organised the traditional ‘Garbha Dance’ to celebrate the success, after their village was officially certified ODF, by one State Minister and other Government Officials. Representatives from 28 other villages also participated in the celebrations and went back with the determination to render their villages also ODF. A further hand-pump was sanctioned for Sumer village, which now also has separate toilet facilities for girls and boys in their school.

Similarly many other villages in Guna block have reached ODF status and tens more are now in race of achieving dignity, convenience and safety through proper sanitation facilities.

2 SUMER, ODF village (MP, India)