“My dream is that my village would be changed to become a healthier one – that every family will use a hygienic toilet and wash their hands using soap after defecating and before eating. I know it is not an easy task to transform the village by myself, but end of the day I can tell myself that I have tried,” said Eyasin Ali, a farmer from Digorbaid community in Northern Bangladesh.
This year, Habitat for Humanity set up a committee to improve water, sanitation and hygiene practices in Mr. Ali’s community. Mr. Ali immediately showed interest in joining the committee because of his passion to improve the health and wellbeing of his community.
After he received training from Habitat, Mr. Ali began to disseminate information to his community on how to improve their sanitation and hygiene practices. He also visited another community that had been declared open defecation free and where the use of sanitary toilets was now common.
Determined to make his own community open defecation free, Mr. Ali personally visited all the households in his village and identified the toilets which were unsanitary. Through several courtyard meetings, he taught them key habits to maintain their hygiene, such as washing hands with soap.
“Unhygienic toilets are not only harmful for our health but it also ruins our social status,” Mr. Ali said.
While the change is gradual and involves initiating a behavioural change in the community, more people have begun to construct more hygienic toilets.
A sanitary toilet reduces the risk of diseases and provides a healthier environment for a better future. With your support, we have been able to impact Mr Ali’s community are many others in Bangladesh.
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