4 Steps Towards Effective WASH for the Rohingya
Clean water, basic toilets and good hygiene practices are essential for survival. Without these basic needs, the lives of thousands of Rohingya are at risk. Alongside the government, many development organizations came forward to install tube wells and toilets. However, in some places, the waste water has created unhygienic pits due to lack of proper drainage, thus creating a severe health and safety concern for everyone in the vicinity.
Under a concept of “WASH extension”, Friendship initiated a holistic approach to address this challenge. Firstly, not only is Friendship providing deep tube wells for safe drinking water as well as basic toilets, but are also ensuring that they are put at least 25 feet away from each other so that the ground water does not get polluted.
Secondly, it is common during emergencies that one tries to benefit the maximum number of people with limited resources, and while doing so one sometimes overlooks the socio-cultural aspects of their response. As a result, they may not ensure basic comfort zones for the community people. Thus, Friendship created gender segregated toilets, separated from each other, with detached hand-washing areas so that everyone can maintain privacy and dignity and have no hesitation in using them. The women’s facilities have 2 latrines and 2 bathing spaces under one roof, whereas the men’s have 1 each.
In addition, solar powered lights are next to all the WASH facilities, so as to provide more safety at night, since the camps are still without regular electricity.
When people fled for their lives and found shelter in the hilly landscape of Ukhia, they had to stay as close to each other as possible. They were understandably distressed and afraid, not knowing what is in their fate. Now at the camps there is shelter everywhere, but there was no time to consider environmental issues. Thousands of acres of forests were cleared, which can’t be brought back. However, with a little effort, the camps can look much greener than it is now. Despite the congested shelters, each house has small space around it where vegetable gardening can be done. Friendship’s third idea was to provide seeds to 100 + families around the WASH project area for free, so that women can grow some vegetables of their own accord. This provides a source of nutrition for their family.
Another measure that Friendship has taken, informally terming it “more than wash”, is to take the run off from tube wells and channel the waste water towards these vegetable gardens. Usually the run off at other installations collect into a cesspool that attracts bacteria and mosquitoes, but in this case, they are used as irrigation for communal vegetable gardens that Friendship provided the seeds for. The community is engaged in these efforts, again maintaining their dignity and pride in being able to provide for themselves to so degree.
Speaking about the improvement in water quality, Afia, a Rohingya woman at the Kutupalong camp said, “We used to collect water from another tube well down the hill, and the water didn’t seem clean, it was making us sick. After Friendship has installed the deep tube well, we now use water from there which is much better. We feel better already”.
Friendship is hoping to expand on this model even further. If you would like to help us, please find the donation button below.
Support Friendship’ Rohingya response: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/rohingya-crisis-appeal-get-involved/.
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