Nepal

‘Better acces to water and sanitation with small loans’

Simavi collaborates with five partners in Nepal, including NEWAH (Nepal Water for Health). This organisation plays an important role as it contributes to the training of local organisations so that they themselves can implement projects in villages.

Together with other partners, NEWAH also lobbies for improved policies in the field of water and sanitation.

Training local staf

Local partner Restless Development is active in the training of local government staff to offer health services in villages and to educate people. The organisation faced a setback last year when an international donor withdrew as a result of the economic crisis.

In consultation with Simavi, not only the contents but also the geographic scope of the programme were adapted. Results will still be achieved but in a smaller area.

Western Nepal

Another project started in 2009 became successful in 2010. Friends Service Council Nepal (FSCN) addresses the most underprivileged population groups in western Nepal with its hygiene education by means of theatre productions and information campaigns on radio in eight different regions. The special radio programmes reached no less than 4.5 million people.

Small loans

The FSCN project has another component in which it works towards direct access to safe drinking water by motivating people to take out small loans. Villagers can build toilets by taking out small loans. The loans are made available by ‘revolving funds’, collective funds at village level. In 2010, FSCN established such funds in five villages.

The village itself manages these. When a villager repays a loan, another member of that community can borrow money to build sanitary facilities. The funding system resulted in 91 toilets being built in 2010, benefiting 752 people.