Community-Lead Total Sanitation (CLTS) in Dukom Village

High incidences of diarrhea cases in Dukom Village (Tiom sub district) raise awareness in the community. They curious and wonder what is the caused of this situation. WV then facilitated the community using method of Community-Lead Total Sanitation (CLTS). In this method, WV did not directly point to solutions but building community curiosity and knowledge as they will find their own solutions.

At first, village mapping was made.

Community map several places where they used to defecate or location where they used to find feces. They then connect those places with some incidence of diarrhea that happened and then they found correlation between it. Although some houses already equipped with private sanitation facilities, still the habit of open defecation happened among community. Their work that consume most of their time in the field has forced them to still practice open defecation habit.

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) focuses on igniting a change in sanitation behavior rather than constructing toilets. It does this through a process of social awakening that is stimulated by facilitators from within or outside the community. It concentrates on the whole community rather than on individual behaviors. Collective benefit from stopping open defecation (OD) can encourage a more cooperative approach. People decide together how they will create a clean and hygienic environment that benefits everyone.

It is fundamental that CLTS involves no individual household hardware subsidy and does not prescribe latrine models. Social solidarity, help and cooperation among the households in the community are a common and vital element in CLTS. Other important characteristics are the spontaneous emergence of Natural Leaders (NLs) as a community proceeds towards ODF (Open Defecation Free) status; local innovations of low cost toilet models using locally available materials, and community-innovated systems of reward, penalty, spread and scaling-up. CLTS encourages the community to take responsibility and to take its own action.

In its fullest sense, total sanitation includes a range of behaviors such as: stopping all open defecation; ensuring that everyone uses a hygienic toilet; washing hands with soap before preparing food and eating, after using the toilet, and after contact with babies’ feces, or birds and animals; handling food and water in a hygienic manner; and safe disposal of animal and domestic waste to create a clean and safe environment. CLTS concentrates on ending open defecation (OD) as a first significant step and entry point to changing behavior. It starts by enabling people to do their own sanitation profile through appraisal, observation and analysis of their practices of OD and the effects these have. This kindles feelings of shame and disgust, and often a desire to stop OD and clean up their neighborhood.

After learn knowledge and doing village mapping, community of Dukom village then made a deal in form of agreement between village inhabitant and village leaders not to do open defecation anymore. They also agreed to build latrines in places where OD often occurs. “We really hope by practicing this new habit will lower the number of diarrhea cases in our village” said Yemiles Weya one of the participants.

Written by Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development

“I want to be a teacher” – Epris’ story

“Hurray! New books!” that was the expression of Epris Wenda on of registered children of Eruwok ADP while receiving new text books from WV. Born in October 23, 1999 Epris now in third grade of elementary school of Indawa Elementary Public School. He is the son of Wetius Wenda and mother Dopi Wanimbo. “Our school is very far from the city” explained Epris. “We always left behind compare to other school as we don’t have proper text books to be studied” said Epris.

The Elementary Public School of Indawa received aid in form of text books from WV through Eruwok Distribution and Supply Project. This project provided help for schools in form of text books, soccer balls, and volley ball nets. It also helps community health centers and integrated health post (Posyandu) with several kinds of antibiotics.

“With these updated text books we can struggle to achieve same position with other advanced schools” said Paskalis one of the teachers of Indawa Elementary Public School. “We hope in the future more help will come not only from WV but also from local government” Paskalis continued.

As we look back to Epris, he acted like a teacher teaching of his friends as students. “I want to be a teacher someday” said Epris. “I’d love to teach science as it reveals a lot of things unknown before” he continued and smile. When we saw his smile, we pray in our heart that someday Epris will found a path that would bring him to be a teacher. A good teacher!

Goal! – Mendianus’ story

A rotten ball surrounded by tiny feet around it passed form one side to another that day. “Goal…” said those kids. They look so happy playing that ball as it rotten condition did not matter to them. They share happiness together while playing ball with certain dreams that someday they will be real football players.

That scene is what we saw that noon. Children were playing in front of their school building while waiting their teachers to come. Mendianus, one of those kids quickly run to us when seeing a new ball and net we bought. “Hurray! Hurray! New ball! New ball!” yelled Mendianus and his friends. A cheerful expression shown on those plain faces. When we asked Mendianus why he is so happy, he said that they had dreamt for long to having a real ball to be played. They use to play with a rotten ball in their school and sometimes when no ball to be played they just made ball of citrus fruit peels.

Mendianus is a son of Mesak Kogoya and mother Mina Wenda. He is at fifth grade of elementary school of Tobanapme. He loved to play football and likes mathematics very much.

“With this new ball, we don’t have to play using ball of citrus peel anymore” said Mendianus. “We are more enthusiastic to play football now” he continued. World Vision through Eruwok Distribution and Supply Project provided aid to schools in form of soccer ball and volley ball net in this FY 10 fiscal year. About 35 school received help in form of soccer balls, volley ball net, and text books. Eruwok Distribution and Supply Project also distribute antibiotics to community health centers and integrated health post (Posyandu).

“Children here are lack of games or entertaining activity” said Herman, one of the school teachers of Tobanapme Elementary School. “We are very happy that WV could equip our school with this facility (balls and net).

“I want to be a real football player someday” said Mendianus. We saw his smile and when seeing him playing that soccer ball, we believed someday his idol will be fulfilled.

27th AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2010 “Many lights for Human Rights”

Perayaan AIDS Candlelight Memorial untuk tahun 2010 ini dilakukan di beberapa gereja di seputaran Wamena. Antara lain, gereja GBI Siloam di Jalan Thamrin Wamena, Gereja Baptis Maranatha di Jalan Sudirman Wamena, dan GKII Efata di Jalan SD Percobaan Wamena.
Berikut ini masing-masing catatan untuk kegiatan di beberapa gereja tersebut:

Perayaan AIDS Candlelight Memorial di Gereja GBI Siloam berlangsung hari Sabtu tanggal 22 Mei 2010. Sekitar 40an pemuda gereja dan anak-anak muda seputaran Wamena mengambil bagian dalam acara ini. Acara dimulai dengan penjelaskan mengenai apa itu AIDS Candlelight Memorial, bahwa even ini yang sering di Indonesiakan dengan nama ”Malam Renungan” merupakan even tertua yang sudah berlangsung sejak tahun 1982. Setelah menerima penjelasan dari fasilitator yang berasal dari Wahana Visi Indonesia, acara dilanjutkan dengan menonton film berjudul ”Ketulusan Cinta”. Film ini berkisah tentang kehidupan muda-mudi remaja di kota Merauke dimana sang pemuda akibat kelakuannya yang tidak baik (melakukan seks bebas) terkena infeksi HIV. Namun sang pemudi tetap mendampinginya sampai si pemuda kembali ke jalan yang benar. Acara kemudian dilanjutkan dengan renungan dan penyalaan lilin. Penyalaan lilin dilakukan oleh pemuda-pemudi gereja sambil masing-masing mendoakan orang-orang yang mereka ketahui meninggal akibat AIDS. Para pemuda dan pemudi juga menyalakan lilin berbentuk pita HIV yang ada di depan mimbar sebagai bentuk kepedulian dan kesiapan mereka sebagai cahaya yang akan menerangi situasi HIV dan AIDS di Wamena. Dalam renungan singkat disampaikan juga jumlah kasus terakhir per April 2010 yaitu sebanyak 698 kasus (KPAD Jayawijaya).

Perayaan AIDS Candlelight Memorial di gereja Baptis Maranatha berlangsung hari Minggu sore tanggal 23 Mei 2010. Acara berupa ibadah bersama pemuda-pemudi gereja Baptis di seputaran Wamena kota karena acara ini juga mengundang seluruh pemuda-pemudi gereja Baptis di Wamena kota antara lain Gereja Baptis Sion, Gereja Baptis Ninabua, dan gereja Baptis lainnya. Acara kemudian dilanjutkan dengan penyalaan lilin sambil mendoakan orang-orang yang telah menjadi korban HIV dan AIDS. Sekitar 40an pemuda-pemudi terlibat dalam acara di gereja Baptis Maranatha ini. Fasilitator pembawa renungan berasal dari Wahana Visi Indonesia.

Perayaan AIDS Candlelight Memorial di gereja GKII Efata didukung sepenuhnya oleh KPAD Jayawijaya dan berbagai NGO dan LSM lokal seperti: Wahana Visi Indonesia, Yayasan Tangan Peduli, Yukemdi, dan LSM lokal lainnya. Acara ini termasuk yang paling dipadati pengunjung karena lokasinya yang terbuka dengan panggung yang menampilkan lagu-lagu dan band bertemakan pencegahan HIV dan AIDS. Sekitar 500an anak muda di seputaran Wamena kota berpartisipasi dalam acara ini. Acara diawali dengan sambutan-sambutan dari berbagai pihak dan kemudian dilanjutkan dengan renungan yang dibawakan seorang pendeta. Penyalaan lilin dipandu oleh Pdt. John Naap dari GKII Efata Wamena. Acara ini sepenuhnya difasilitasi oleh Wamena Youth Forum dengan dukungan dana dari KPAD Jayawijaya serta bantuan teknis dari Wahana Visi Indonesia Wamena.

Ke depannya kemandirian gereja dalam melakukan program ini sangatlah diharapkan. Gereja-gereja diharap tidak bergantung kepada lembaga yang akan membiayai kegiatan ini namun bersikap independen dalam dana dan daya sehingga kepedulian gereja terhadap situasi HIV dan AIDS di Jayawijaya ini akan lebih baik dan lebih baik lagi.

Yerias now able to walk again!

“Now I’m able to see happiness in my son face again.” Said Terli Wenda (Female, 30 years old), mother of Yerias Wanimbo (Male, 2 years and 5 months old). “I can see progress within my son that finally he is able to walk again.” Terli continued.

This was the expression of Terli Wenda when she told the story of her son Yerias. Yerias is the second son of Oban Wanimbo’s children. Yerias’ father Oban Wanimbo (35 years old) working as farmer to fulfils daily family needs. When Yerias age two years old he was still not able to walk. Yerias development on growth seems a little bit late compared to children as his age. In their village when children already 2 years old then they are able to walk even to run when playing with their peers. “I was once feeling ashamed when I have to face another mothers in my village” said Terli. “I couldn’t answer anything when they asked me how and why”. Terli then brought Yerias to NERS post that available in Nambume village in cooperation of community with World Vision Indonesia. NERS post is a program carried out by Nutrition project of Eruwok ADP. This project is a continuation of SEHAT project that already closed in the last fiscal year. SEHAT project was nutrition project aimed to increase nutrition status of children under 5 years old. This project was using Positive Deviance (PD) method. The project then funded using sponsorship budget and expanded to other areas that not covered in previous SEHAT project. In the NERS post mothers were equipped with knowledge about food diversification.

They were practiced and applied the knowledge to their home so they able to provide nutritious food for their children. At first, it was difficult to train mothers in food diversification since them only able to cook in a simple way using hot stones (bakar batu) but after 2 years implementation of SEHAT project some mothers adopted training materials in their daily life.
Yerias’ brother Peles Wanimbo is a registered child of Eruwok ADP. He is 8 years old now and often playing with his little brother Yerias.

“I keep feeding my son with different kind of nutritious food every day and I can see the progress that month by month the weight of my son is increasing” said Terli, “Yerias also begin to like eating fruits and vegetables compare to before joining this post”.
One day, Terli was astonished seeing view of her son walking. “I was very surprised at that day” she said. “Although he still can not run and walk wobbly I believe that someday my son will be able to run like another children in my village” Terli continued. We saw Terli’s smile and that smile brought hope to us that this program need to be continued and replicated to other areas as so many children like Yerias might present in other remote areas.

In the future, several special funding needed to extend this nutrition program into other Eruwok ADP ministry areas.

Posted by Willy Sitompul for Eruwok Development