By Vincent Gunde
The Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) is set to implement a 12- month Sanitation and Hygiene activities project in 85 villages of Dowa district covering areas of four traditional authorities.
The project which will be implemented in the areas of traditional authorities Dzoole, Mkukula, Chiwere and Msakambewa, will train teachers seven from each school on good hygiene and train 1,463 learners on hygiene promotion using hygiene heroes and sports approach.
The organization will organize or support annual inter- school sports tournament involving nearby schools and beyond the targeted schools for six schools.
The organization’s Project Coordinator for Dowa Pius Khozi, said the project will be implemented in 85 schools with two schools across four areas of traditional authorities Dzoole, Mkukula, Chiwere and Msakambewa.
Khozi said the project will be implemented in schools and communities where Self Help Africa ( SHA) is delivering water supply system with a vision of a just and peaceful Malawi where everyone attains quality life.
He said among activities lined up for the project will be conducting Post – Open Defecation Free ( ODF) activities to prevent slippage ( reverting to open defecation.
The coordinator said the project will employ market based sanitation to help communities move up sanitation ladder through upgrading basic latrines.
He said the project will conduct dialogue sessions with community based structures such as Village Health Committees on low cost latrines and hand washing technologies.
Khozi said the project will continue to address ODF slippage and promoting improved sanitation products via market- based sanitation approaches and school base Social Behavior Change Communication ( SBCC).
He said the project will link interested champion households to local stakeholders thereby building capacity of the wider latrines saying four VIP latrines will be constructed with four blocks of 16 holes.
” In the four T/As, the project will use T/A wide dissemination of hygiene messages to promote improved hygiene behaviors in communities and schools,’ said Khozi.
Currently, Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) is implementing its interventions in 12 districts of the country, two in the northern region, six in the centre and four in the southern region in the thematic priority areas of sustainable livelihoods, WASH, health services, climate change and disease management and human rights, among others.
