GOAL Sierra Leone

CLTS Case Study

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Location Simbaru Community in the Punduru Peripheral Health Unit (PHU) catchment is one of !" communities supported by GOAL in Gorama #ende Chiefdom$ %enema &istrict$ Sierra Leone' Gorama #ende is one of the most mar(inalised chiefdom in the district due to its inaccessibility' )t has an appro*imate population of +,$-!! people and a lar(ely rural subsistence a(riculture based economy .ith a lo. le/el of allu/ial diamond minin( alon( the Se.a ri/er' Community Led Total Sanitation Initiation On the 0th of April ,!!1 the people of Simbaru .ere /isited by a team of GOAL facilitators$ .ho presented their plans to 2study community beha/iours3 (implement CLTS) in their community' )n collaboration .ith the community the facilitators a(reed upon a date for the 2study3 (tri((erin( process)' On the 4 th April ,!!1$ a team of three GOAL facilitators tri((ered CLTS in Simbaru community$ usin( the standard set of CLTS tools'

Simbaru Community Mapping

The Simbaru community$ .ho had anticipated that an i5GO that planned to address sanitation issues in their community .ould build latrines for each household in the community$ did not .elcome the CLTS concept' Community elders accused GOAL of .ithholdin( de/elopment funds from their community and said that they felt humiliated by the .ay that the facilitators .ere pointin( out their open defecation practices' After recei/in( similar feedbac6 from other communities in the Punduru PHU catchment$ GOAL decided to in/ite sta6eholders from all the tar(eted communities in the Punduru area to discuss GOAL3s intentions .ith CLTS and community perceptions' To encoura(e acceptance of the inter/ention$ the GOAL

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CLTS Case Study

Area Coordinator$ 8ASH 9n(ineer$ and field staff ans.ered :uestions about CLTS and e*plained that CLTS forms part of the transition from emer(ency to de/elopment pro(rammin( and is a strate(y supported by the Go/ernment of Sierra Leone and the U5' Therefore no more latrines .ill be built by the ma;ority of a(encies in Sierra Leone and GOAL$ by supportin( CLTS$ .ill be able to en(a(e in other acti/ities in their communities$ such as increasin( the co/era(e of safe .ater supply' The presence of international mana(ement staff at the meetin( pro/ed 6ey$ and at the end of the meetin( communities .ere declarin( their intentions to support CLTS'

Simbaru Community Transect !al"

Community Led Total Sanitation Follow up The )mam of Simbaru to.n$ %amor Ambulai$ reco(ni<ed the intent of the tri((erin( acti/ities and independently used opportunities at prayer to encoura(e the buildin( of household latrines' He e/en dre. from the =uaran$ :uotin( 2Cleanliness is ne*t to Godliness3$ to moti/ate community members to stop open defecation' 8hen %amor and his youth (roup decided to monitor household latrines and open defecation .ithin the community$ they ad/ised a senior societal head to clean his compound and construct a latrine' The insulted societal head complained to the Chief$ .ho brou(ht the case to the section chiefs in Punduru for mediation' %amor and his youth (roup .ere found (uilty of disrespect and ordered to pay a fine of Le +!$!!! (US> !)' 8hile %amor and his team learned a /aluable lesson about ho. to discuss open defecation .ith community members$ they didn3t (i/e up and instead rene.ed their efforts throu(h pro/idin( positi/e reinforcement to community members .ho had constructed household latrines$ rather than ne(ati/e feedbac6 to.ards those .ho had not'

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CLTS Case Study

&espite ha/in( conflicts .ith community members .ho considered open defecation$ 26a6a in the open3$ as part of life$ %amor emer(ed as an effecti/e 5atural Leader in promotin( an open defecation free community$ usin( his =uaranic 6no.led(e and support of the youth' #pen $e%ecation Free Status The realisation of %amor3s aspirations came to li(ht .hen an e*ternal monitorin( team comprisin( of #inistry of Health representati/es and GOAL staff /isited Simbaru on an Open &efecation ?ree (O&?) assessment' The team .as impressed .ith the en/ironmental sanitation and latrine construction of the community and re.arded the community effort by declarin( Simbaru O&? on the +th 5o/ember ,!!1' A date .as set for an O&? celebration on 1 th 5o/ember ,!!1$ to coincide .ith 28orld Toilet &ay3'

'ssessment team inspect a (ouse(old latrine

The GOAL7U5)C9? supported Open &efecation ?ree celebration in the community .as attended by GOAL staff$ the Simbaru community and representati/es of the surroundin( communities' The celebrations included speeches$ dancin($ a bi( lunch and clima*ed .ith a community youth or(ani<ed social ni(ht$ 2&isco @am3' An entrance fee char(ed for the disco raised Le ,0!$!!! .hich .as handed o/er to the GOAL instituted and supported Ailla(e Health Committee' The Ailla(e Health Committee is no. plannin( to use the funds for further community de/elopment acti/ities' Community Led Total Sanitation &rogress GOAL no. plans to scaleBup CLTS to all !" communities in Gorama #ende Chiefdom and has en(a(ed the 5atural Leaders that ha/e emer(ed from the pilot communities$ such as %amor from Simbaru$ as CLTS consultants for the scaleBup'

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CLTS Case Study

Community $e)eloped #$F Sign

Lessons Learned )t is important to en(a(e societal leaders$ such as reli(ious leaders and teachers' )t can ta6e a si(nificant amount of time to achie/e sustainable O&? status' Transparency and clarity in communicatin( CLTS ideals are critical' CLTS can (reatly increase the confidence of communities$ empo.erin( them to de/elop themsel/es'

Cambasu %o6er Lead Community #obiliser %enema &istrict GOAL Sierra Leone

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