By Nav Gill
Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti (TSS), our partner organization in Nepal, is working tirelessly to ensure that community members have access to potable drinking water and technology to reduce open defecation. The ultimate goal is to ensure individuals can live healthy lives. In 2015, TSS and WNC committed to working on a Global Affairs Canada funded project (2015-2020) to increase child and maternal mortality by engaging communities to build 4,200 latrines and 21 water systems, benefiting over 26,000 individuals.
Over the last 4 years, TSS has worked with communities to install 4,000 latrines and 3 gravity-fed water system across the region and will continue to work on the implement the remaining systems until 2020. TSS has also worked closely with the National Open Defecation Free Zone campaign in Nepal and are proud to announce that Ramechhap is an ODF zone!
The success of TSS’s work is largely due to their unique community development model, where community members are partners in the planning, implementation, and follow-up of the infrastructure development. Community members lead all elements of the program and TSS provides the facilitation and support to do so. Of course, like all development projects the team also faces unique challenges that include geographical barriers, natural disasters, poverty, and human resources. Since TSS team members are from the Ramechhap district, solutions are driven by local culture and understandings.
It’s no surprise that over the last 30 years, TSS has successfully constructed over 200 water systems in the Ramechhap District, ensuring that access to water and sanitation are for the entire community!
TSS is visiting BC in March 2019! Join us at a public event near you to hear first hand the impact of water and sanitation on community health:
- Cawston BC March 24, 2019, 1:00pm-2:30pm @ Cawston Community Hall
- Oliver BC March 25, 2019 7:00pm-8:30pm @ Christ the King Church
- Vernon BC March 27, 2019 7:00pm-8:30 pm @ Heritage Hall Okanagan Science Centre
- Vancouver BC March 30, 2019 12:30-pm-2:30pm @ HiVE Vancouver
- Coquitlam BC March 30, 2019 4:00pm-4:45pm @ Coquitlam City Centre Library
Visit us on Facebook for more information on the upcoming events and our work!