Project Area: Kathmandu Valley

Project Duration: Jan 2005 to Jan 2006

Project Background

ENPHO in collaboration with Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Clean Energy Nepal launched an intensive campaign to promote SODIS technology in Kathmandu Valley. SODIS is a simple, cheap and promising household level drinking water treatment technique that uses solar energy to disinfect germs in drinking water. Under this scheme, more than 11,000 households were educated and trained whereby 6,500 households were covered through door-to-door program.

Project Activities:
1.    Media Campaign
For promoting SODIS campaign through media, the SODIS campaign was discussed in the 21 ward level discussion program entitled “Samajik Batabaran Sudhar Ma Samudaya Ko Bhumika" organized by JanaSewa Samudayik Kendra with the help of 21 ward area networking.

2.    Training of Trainers (TOT):
Training of Trainers for SODIS dissemination in the valley was given to individuals of different organizations. A total of 92 individuals from different organizations were given TOT. These individuals were the ones who later conducted the door to door SODIS awareness program in their respective communities.

3.    School Program:
SODIS awareness campaign was launched in altogether 35 schools comprising of both governmental and non governmental schools. The awareness campaign was targeted both for students as well as the teachers of the respective schools.

4.    Monitoring:
All the individual households were monitored for 5 times each during the project period of 6 months. Furthermore, city volunteers of KMC on the basis of random sampling method also did monitoring. The monitoring result indicated that of the total household trained, the acceptance of the SODIS technology was almost 60%.

5.    Questionnaire Assessment Survey
The questionnaire assessment survey was conducted for a total of two times in respective communities to measure the effectiveness of the SODIS technology and to assess the health implications of the SODIS especially to those under 5 years of age. The first survey was conducted in a total of 650 households and the second survey was conducted in the households having children under the age of 5.

6.    Exhibitions
Promotion of the SODIS technology was done through exhibitions in different localities of the valley. Following were some of the major exhibitions where the SODIS technology was demonstrated:

•  Exhibition at Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu
•  Exhibitions at Exhibition Hall, Bhrikuti Mandap
•  Exhibition at Kirtipur Municipality
•  Exhibition at Exhibition Hall, Bhrikuti Mandap
•  Exhibition at Ward No. 28

7.    Supplementary Trainings
Besides regular trainings, many other supplementary trainings regarding the SODIS technology was given. Some of those trainings given were:

• Training to the sweepers of KMC

More than 300 sweepers working in different wards of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City were trained on this technology.

• Training at Juddha Barun Yantra, Basantapur

The training regarding the SODIS was disseminated to the firemen at Juddha barun Yantra.

• Training at Ananda Pragya, Kalimati

The training regarding SODIS was disseminated at Ananda Pragya, a Yoga center.

• Training to the City Volunteers

The city volunteers responsible for promoting this technology in their respective communities and colleges were trained on SODIS technology.

Project Outputs:

• Door to door SODIS training program was conducted in 6500 households.
• SODIS technology was promoted in more than 12000 household through this campaign
• School students were made aware on safe drinking water and trained on SODIS technology
• Trained manpower was generated for promoting SODIS
• Behavioral changes in household were achieved regarding use of SODIS through regular monitoring of the trained households.

Project Partners:

• Environment and Public Health Organization
• Kathmandu Metropolitan City
• Nepal Water Supply Corporation
• Local CBOs and NGOs