LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT THROUGH WASH IN IDP CAMPS

LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT THROUGH WASH IN IDP CAMPS Compiled & Authored- Suman Rani Shahi Preeti Khattri NOBLE COMPASSIONATE VOLUNTEERS

WASH Livelihood Support- CASE STUDY 1 INTRODUCTION About 8 million people had been directly affected by the recurring earthquake that occurred in Nepal on 25th April and 12 th May 2015. About 9000 people had died and properties worth 6 billion had been destroyed in 14 affected districts, as per the National Planning Commission assessment in July. The effect had rendered many people homeless. Some preferred to stay in open fields outside their houses and many others from the completely damaged villages took refuge in the capital. According to the DTM record, about 22000 people had been seeking refuge in Kathmandu at the time of emergency. They were dwelling sporadically in a camp like settings in any open fields they found and also, nearby to the place of their community inhabitants in Kathmandu valley. NCV Nepal was initially given responsibility for 6 different recognized camps in the Valley as UNICEF s implementing partners to conduct WASH activities. We had initially found the camps in very disoriented state and it was a huge challenge to organize the WASH activities in such sporadic situation. 2 INITIAL SITUATION ANALYSIS The following camps were assigned to NCV in June, after 2 months of first earthquake hit: 1. Chuchepati Camp 2. Balaju IDP camp 3. Gokarna IDP camp 4. Boudha IDP camp 5. Golf Course IDP camp 6. Yellow Gomba IDP camp At the later stages, the following camps were discovered: 7. Sherpa IDP camp 8. Danchi IDP camp 9. Thali IDP camp When NCV entered the camps, the following were how we found the state of WASH in camps: 1. The pit laterines made during the immediate response period were overflowing with feces. 2. The desludging wasn t done for any of the pit laterines. 3. There wasn t proper covering for the laterines. 4. There weren t sufficient laterines in the camps. 5. The nearby public toilets in certain camps were also over- used. 6. IDP s had to pay for using the public toilets in certain camps.

7. There were no separate bathing space. 8. There was no laundry space. 9. The camps were not organized and hence even the state of waste management was grim. 10. There was no drainage dug around the tents. 11. Menstrual pads were scattered and dogs would be carrying it around. 12. Foul odor was observed as soon as one would enter the camp. 13. Water supply was sporadic and there weren t much monitoring over the quality of water people were drinking. The following were the initial hygiene practice that we noticed in the camps: 1. The people were still in shock, they were sporadically settling and disoriented. In camps like Balaju and Chuchepati where there were people from heterogeneous communities, there was a huge issue in unity and indifferent sense of responsibility towards the basic living standards. 2. The pit latrines constructed during the response phase were filled completely and people were avoiding going to the toilets. 3. The toilets were made but there wasn t any community participation to keep it clean and maintain it. The feces were overflowing and there was no maintenance being done. 4. They were urinating outside and also defecating in the corner of the boundaries or dark secluded places. 5. The sanitary pads were scattered and there was no systematic solid waste disposal in the camps. 6. The IDP s in the camps from Langtang region would pick the feces with their naked hands and throw them off in drains or dig them in the pits. 7. The small babies were not considered important to be kept clean even after they relieved themselves on their clothes. 8. The hand-washing practices were very poor. Though generally people would want to wash hands after defecating but there were lack of water in most of the camps. 9. The practice of washing hands after going to toilet just for urinating wasn t considered important. 10. Mother s would not practice hand-washing after cleaning their babies feces and soiled clothes. 11. The IDP s who were from extreme mountainous regions did not have habit of taking bath normally let alone taking care of hygiene during the menstruation. 12. We found that the practice of following cultural norm of isolating the menstruating females still prevalent even during the catastrophe but it wasn t prevalent in the Sherpa community. 13. Old people from mountainous regions like Langtang, Tatopani and Gomba defecated outside even when the toilets were ok to use just because they were not comfortable with using the toilets. 14. Small children defecating outside were considered normal. 15. Some IDP s even after having sufficient water did not consider flushing public toilets important. 16. Due to the lack of proper bathing space and no water in camps, there was skin infections spotted amongst the IDP s especially in the children from Sherpa and Gokarna Camp.

3 ENGAGING COMMUNITY FOR WASH ACTIVITIES Seeing the situation, NCV needed to act immediately. We faced the challenge of indifference from the community initially. But the difficult situation which they were facing and our regular visit with right intention and hygiene promotion activities helped us to develop bonding with them. We started with refreshments for work incentive while constructing the wash infrastructure. We had to channelize the dedicated persons to maintain the hygiene and sanitation in camps. The various posts that we created for the WASH activities to be implemented permanently in all our camps were: 1. WASH Supervisor 2. Water Tester 3. Water Point Operator 4. Operation of Water Treatment 5. Latrine Cleaners 6. Drainage Cleaners 7. Security We also engaged the community for the following activities to be done periodically: 8. Grass and Bush cutters 9. Levelling of ground 10. Decommissioning of Latrines 11. Bladder cleaning 12. Maintenance of Latrines, Bathrooms and hand-stations 13. Construction of bladder Platform 14. Construction of Latrines, bathing space, water tap platform and laundry space Apart from this, we have engaged the community as per the requirement during different situations and need. 4 CAPACITY BUILDING AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 4.1 WOMEN PARTICIPATION: We were surprised to discover that the most enthusiastic and eager participants in all our activity were women. They were more responsible, hard-working and adaptable. Most of the women who came

forward to clean the toilets were single mothers, their husbands had left them years ago. They were basically the agriculture labors and road-side labors who worked for the construction activity. They had to displace from their origin location to Kathmandu after losing their small owned properties and fields. Some were the victims of domestic violence and some were facing wrath by the alcoholic husbands. They were the ones who needed livelihood more and didn t bother much about the cultural mocking regarding the cleaners in country. Almost 90% of women working as cleaners were single women They were abandoned by their husband, after they got pregnant or after giving birth to the baby. Some lost their family in earthquake. Women are engaged as water test supervisors and have been trained for it in Chuchepati IDP camp and Sherpa IDP Camp. 4.2 PRE-OCCUPATION: We have been able to engage compassionate members in the camp to carry out our day to day WASH activities. The members in the camp working as supervisors and Operators were in occupation as tourist guides, drivers, construction workers, farm workers, self-employed (particularly women) for local products ( doko (bamboo baskets), sukool (straw mat),duna (leaf bowls) etc.

5 FEW SUPPORTED CASES AND IMPACT: 5.1 NAME: PAVITRA TIWARI AGE: 28 CHILDREN : 1 ( 12 YEAR OLD) STATUS : SINGLE - ABANDONED BY HUSBAND WHEN CHILD WAS 14 DAYS OLD PRESENT OCCUPATION : CLEANER AT CHUCHEPATI IDP CAMP OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: AGRICULTURAL LABOR, SINDHUPALCHOWK She was abandoned by her husband at the age of 17 with a 14 day old baby. She had a love affair and had married without the consent of the family. After the husband abandoned her, their families didn t accept her. To sustain herself and the child, she had started working as a farm labor. The earthquake of May destroyed much of the properties in the region she was working in and she fled to Kathmandu with her child. She was the first woman who came forward for the work with NCV as a cleaner in the direst times during early emergency.

It has been 9 months since she has been under the payroll of NCV. Her child is continuing education at a nearby Public shool in Kathmandu. 5.2 NAME: MANISHA SHERPA AGE: 26 CHILDREN : 1 ( 10 YEAR OLD) STATUS : MARRIED PRESENT OCCUPATION : WATER TESTING OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: SELF-EMPLOYED (RAN HER OWN TEA STALL) Manisha is from Solukhumbu district. She was a self-employed woman who ran her own tea stall in the trekking route. Her family was forced to displace to Kathmandu after the earthquake hit her house and the tea stall and there were no occupation for the tourist guide during the time. They have been residing in Chuchepati IDP camp with their child. Manisha has been trained to check water supply, check the quality of water of the tankers before filling it in the bladders and tanks. She has been very reliable woman community mobiliser during NCV s health promotion activities and distribution activities.

5.3 NAME: CHENG SHERPA AGE: 30 CHILDREN : 3 (10, 4, 9 MONTHS) STATUS : MARRIED PRESENT OCCUPATION : WATER POINT OPERATOR AT SHERPA CAMP OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: SELF-EMPLOYED IN HER OWN FARM Cheng is from Gomba VDC in Sindhupalchowk. Gomba VDC is near the Tibet border and has faced complete destruction of property and land. The bridge access to the village is also damaged and now the IDPs have to trek 2 days to reach the village. Cheng and her community from Gomba were displaced to Kathmandu after the second earthquake. They have been staying in the IDP camp located in Kapan region in the Valley. The camp being at elevated land had no access to water supply and faced a dire shortage of water affecting their hygiene practice. NCV found the camp in August and supported them for WASH since then. NCV supported the water installation and treatment plant in Sherpa camp to supply the water at 150 mt elevation. Since then, Cheng has been engaged in maintaining the operations of the water plant twice a

day. She takes care about the water storage in the camps also looking after the water testing and treatment activity on daily basis. She has been trained for the job and has been quite sincere in her duties. She also supports NCV as community coordinator for hygiene promotion and relief distribution in the Sherpa camp. She is supporting her family in Kathmandu with the livelihood opportunity with NCV. 5.4 NAME: RADHA SHRESTHA AGE: 30 CHILDREN : 1 (14) STATUS : MARRIED PRESENT OCCUPATION : CLEANER AT CHUCHEPATI CAMP OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: CLEANER AT AN OFFICE IN KATHMANDU Radha had been working as a cleaner in Kathmandu at a bank office which got completely destroyed during the earthquake. The lived in a small rented room with husband and child. Her husband is alcoholic and doesn t support family. She took up the job to support the family and send her child to school. After the earthquake, her major source of income was lost. The family had to move into the camp. Since last 7 months, Radha has been a member of NCV as a cleaner in Chuchepati camp. She has been supporting her family through livelihood with NCV.

5.5 NAME: SHANTI TAMANG AGE: 35 CHILDREN : 2 STATUS : SINGLE MOTHER ( HUSBAND WORKS ABROAD AND ABANDONED HER ) PRESENT OCCUPATION : CLEANER AT BOUDHA CAMP OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: SELF-EMPLOYED AT HER OWN FARM IN NUWAKOT Shanti owned her own small farm in Nuwakot, which got destroyed completely by the earthquake. Her husband works abroad and had left her years ago. Before earthquake, she was supporting herself and children by working in the farm. She was in desperate need for livelihood when she came to Kathmandu and has been employed in the camp since then. Her children are studying in the nearby public school. She is happy about the education her children are getting and herself being able to support them in Kathmandu.

5.6 NAME: RAMKAJI SHRESTHA AGE: 28 CHILDREN : 2 STATUS : MARRIED PRESENT OCCUPATION : SANITATION SUPERVISOR AT DANCHI IDP CAMP OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: TRUCK DRIVER CHINA-NEPAL BORDER Ramkaji Shrestha is originally from Listi VDC at Sindhupalchowk. He was a truck driver. The earthquake had caused much damage in his region. The road from the China border was completely destroyed and hence he lost his job and couldn t still go back to his village. He is living in the Danchi IDP camp with his family. He is a member of NCV as a sanitation supervisor at Danchi IDP camp. The camp is almost closing and now he is looking for a job elsewhere in Kathmandu.

5.7 NAME: DAWA SHERPA AGE: 35 CHILDREN: 1 PRESENT OCCUPATION: CAMP SUPERVISOR FOR WASH OCCUPATION BEFORE EARTHQUAKE: TREKKING GUIDE Dawa Sherpa lost his job as a trekking guide after the earthquake. He was displaced from the original site at Solukumbhu. He was engaged with NCV as a water supervisor in the earlier phase. Mr Dawa Sherpa, showed great acumen in community mobilization and management in the camps. Seeing his skills, NCV promoted him to the post of Camp Supervisor. NCV found him as a man with very good character and compassion. He has been an asset to the organization and has been a multi-tasker for all round management of camps.

6 WAY FORWARD NCV has supported the livelihood in the camps and developed its internal capacity through the IDP camp community as well. At the peak time of monsoon, we had engaged more than 50 IDPs to work with us in cash for work voucher. And our community engagement gained enough trust of people for continuous support. We have found that there are a lot of single women in the camp who were supporting NCV. Now, that the camps are at the verge of closure, they are looking upon NCV for further assistance. NCV is developing a livelihood program- PROJECT SEETA for Women : SPECIAL ECONOMIC EMPLOYMENT TRAINING & ACTIVITIES for Women; specifically targeted to support single women with children who cannot return to their original site even after the camp closure. They have a big role in the success of the WASH projects in the camps undertaken by NCV with UNICEF. Without their sincere efforts and demonstrated loyalty, managing the camps would be such a herculean task. NCV feels that it is our moral responsibility to assist these women in future and we deem it important that they be taken care of. The NCV members from the IDP camp engaged in regular WASH activities