TO BE VACCINATED OR NOT

COVID-19 VACCINATION DRIVE BY SHELTER ASSOCIATES

While the world is looking forward to the best possible remedy to COVID19 through vaccinations, the fact remains that this vaccine comes with its own set of myths and misinformation. Medical experts worldwide believe that vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise, but the question still prevails: Should you get yourself vaccinated with the newly developed COVID19 vaccine? 

Photograph of a resident from the informal settlement wearing a mask

Before we come to a conclusion, a small study is necessary to separate myths from facts.

Myth no.1: We get adversely affected by COVID19 if we get vaccinated. 

Learning from the experts, COVID-19 vaccines are developed using science that has been around for decades. The vaccine has gone through all the required stages of clinical trials followed by extensive testing and trails. The end result shows it as safe and efficient with minor side effects which validate the effectiveness of the vaccine. In short, the COVID19 vaccine creates antibodies and none of the vaccines contain live virus that causes COVID19.

Myth no. 2: The COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility in men and women.

There is no such evidence that proves this point. The vaccine does not interact with a woman’s reproductive organs nor with men’s sperm production or fertility. Pregnant women are at a greater risk if infected with COVID, which is why it is essential to get vaccinated to prevent any pregnancy related issues. 

Myth no. 3: I’ve already been diagnosed with COVID-19, so I don’t need to get vaccinated.

Once a person recovers from COVID19, the body generates natural immunity and antibodies but that does not last for long. The person may get re-infected after a few months. That is the reason medical experts suggest COVID vaccine after 3 months of recovery. Studies have proved that vaccination provides a strong boost in protecting  people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Myth no. 4: Once I receive the COVID-19 vaccine, I no longer need to wear a mask.

While we understand the importance of getting vaccinated, it is equally true that no vaccine is 100% effective. Getting vaccinated does not mean we can go back to how life was earlier and move freely without masks. A vaccinated person might still be a carrier of the virus, even if they don’t feel sick. Thus, as per Government protocol, physical distancing, face masks and  handwashing is essential even after a person is vaccinated with both the doses of COVID19 Vaccine. 

While there are a lot of speculations and theories regarding the deadly COVID-19 virus, there is an imminent  danger that if you test positive, your entire family and those in contact with you are at high risk. The COVID-19 vaccine does not guarantee 100% protection from COVID-19 but it definitely helps in keeping oneself from getting seriously ill after testing positive. While the above explanations clear out most of the prevailing myths and strongly recommend vaccinations, individuals residing in the informal settlements may think differently. They live in dense settlements and are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus than the general public, but aren’t still fully convinced about the benefits of vaccination.

Shelter Associates, an NGO working for the betterment of the urban poor in Maharashtra through sanitation and housing for the last 28 years, has done extensive research on understanding communities and their preferences with respect to the prevailing COVID-19 scenario. Data collated from every house reveals that communities are apprehensive about getting vaccinated since there are several rumors  and misinformation doing the rounds about the vaccine. 

Community Workers collecting data and mobilizing communities on COVID-19 Vaccination

Recognizing the need to educate communities and bust the vaccination myths, Shelter Associates has been conducting COVID-19 vaccination drives in the informal settlements in the cities of Pune, Kolhapur, Navi Mumbai and Thane to support the City Municipal Corporations and partner organisations. The broad objectives of the campaign are:

  • To mobilize communities to follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour and spread awareness through formal and informal activities as part of risk communication and community engagement strategy. 
  • To reduce vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccine willingness and registration in the informal settlements
  • To distribute WASH supplies such as masks, sanitizers, wash basins at Community toilets, etc. which would ultimately contribute towards Infection prevention and control. 
  • Capacity building of community workers, self-help groups, community health workers, etc. who are equal contributors to the vaccination drive.  
  • To monitor and evaluate a system of evidence-based planning based on assessments for Covid response and preparedness.
COVID-19 Vaccination Camps being organised in the informal Settlements
Health Officers vaccinating the residents of informal settlements

The expertise and experience of Shelter Associates in bringing about a behavioural change among communities will go a long way in busting the myths and spreading positive information. Such vaccination drives are vital in  ensuring that maximum people residing in informal settlements get vaccinated and lead a healthy and virus-free life. 

Reference: Shelter Associates, https://www.cdc.gov/

NO MASK NO TASK – An effort to encourage 100% mask use

It has been proven by medical experts and researchers across the world that the use of masks can slow down the spread of Corona Virus which is highly infectious and spreading rapidly across the globe.  It spreads mainly through respiratory droplets; and therefore, a good and correctly  placed mask not only protects oneself but also from spreading it to others. Having said that time and again, a large section of the population, also those living in the informal settlements are very casual and carefree about wearing masks, more so because they have a lot of misconceptions regarding COVID19 and sometimes due to the false beliefs that it won’t affect their locality/community. Although the lockdown has imposed strict restrictions on the movement of residents,  and strict code of conduct for business and commercial areas  across cities, there is a certain laxity in following the precautionary measures across all strata of the society.

Shelter Associates, an NGO working around the implementation of WASH in the informal settlements of Maharashtra, even during such challenging conditions, is mobilising slum communities around  household toilets  and COVID19 prevention. Observations from the communities suggest an urgent need to spread awareness on the use of masks  and its importance. Whether  buying regular grocery items, going to the medical store for medicines or visiting the community toilet; most of the residents prefer to go out without masks for their daily chores. Another thing noticed is that many people are wearing masks, but only partially covering the mouth and nose , which entirely defeats the purpose of wearing one. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Shelter Associates has initiated the ‘No Mask No Task’ campaign with the sole objective of creating awareness on 100% mask use in the informal settlements of Maharashtra. The campaign is active in the selected slum settlements of Navi Mumbai and Kolhapur.

Community Volunteers mobilizing residents on 100% mask use at public places

As a part of this campaign, the community volunteers visit door to door to educate families to use masks while moving out of their homes; inform shopkeepers and street vendors to strictly enforce the use of mask during transactions; communicate with CTB Caretakers to prevent residents from using the toilets unless they wear a proper mask while entering. For the success of this campaign, the community volunteers are trained extensively on COVID19 background, its spread and preventive measures. Unless fully convinced, they will not be in a position to effectively communicate the need for a mask, therefore SA has taken extra efforts in briefing communities and motivating people to follow related precautionary steps.

Informative posters being displayed within the slum vicinity

To make the campaign more effective, community volunteers have also printed eye-catching and informative posters while some created handmade posters in places where printing is not possible due to the lockdown. These posters are displayed at prominent places around the settlement such as shops, busy corners, Community Toilets etc., creating continuous visibility and making immediate visual impressions on its onlookers. The posters have been reaching a wide audience, especially in these densely packed slum areas where many people are likely to see them. Supporting the efforts of Shelter Associates, responsible residents within the community also play a pivotal role in the advocacy of mask use by creating posters and spreading awareness in the interest of other residents.

And now that we all are expecting to hit the third wave COVID19 which is projected to be much more harmful than the present wave, there exists a need for extensive mobilization where individuals are educated on the significance of mask use, within their communities. While it takes a lot of effort to create behavioural change among the people, if we don’t fight this war now, we will definitely fall victim to this pandemic. If a majority of people behave responsibly, we will certainly minimise the impact of this life-threatening catastrophe. Let’s be safe and keep others safe!

A small boy from the community displays a poster made by him

BRINGING LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE ‘OHOT’ INITIATIVE

The last few months witnessed a major setback in the Indian Economy and the overall work space, especially the informal sector bearing the brunt. The COVID19 pandemic hit hard on the daily wage earners and the migrant labour. Work opportunities coming to a standstill, has constricted the livelihood of the labour class of people belonging to the construction industry working as masons, plumbers, ground diggers, tile fitting workers, painters, etc. who on an average, earn Rs.400 – Rs.500 per day.

Even while this adverse scenario continues to stay, a considerable contribution towards the livelihood of the people from this segment comes from Shelter Associates’ ‘One Home One Toilet’ initiative. This cost sharing sanitation model of facilitating household toilets to the families of urban slum settlements came into existence in the year 2013 and has now impacted the lives of over 1 lakh individuals directly through the facilitation of over 22000 home toilets. Not only has it led to healthier families through an improved sanitation facility, but also proved to be a livelihood opportunity for the skilled and unskilled labour mostly residing within the communities who are a part of the toilet construction process.

Cost of toilet  construction

Cost of toilet construction

While the pandemic led to unemployment and a halt in the construction projects, having a home toilet gained greater prominence considering the safety & hygiene threats involved with community sanitation. During such a crisis when the daily wage labour had to face financial miseries, the OHOT model of Shelter Associates provided livelihood to many skilled and unskilled labour who could see a source of income through the toilet construction work. The toilet construction further incentivised renovations and reconstruction of houses as a step towards an elevated standard of living, adding to the income of masons and other casual labour involved.

Toilet construction work in progress

Toilet construction work in progress

For the construction of 22000 household toilets, nearly 13,53,000 manhours were utilized. This meant more employment opportunities and a reduction in the transport cost as most of the masons and other labour involved in the toilet construction stayed in the immediate vicinity. Shelter Associates could thus leverage nearly 15.6 crores towards labours charges for drainage led toilets and close to Rs. 2.75 crores towards the labour for construction of septic tank toilets. Overall, Rs. 18.3 crores have been a revenue for the skilled and unskilled labour involved in the construction of 22000 individual household toilets, which is still counting.

“I have been working as a mason for several years. The situation of COVID19 and Lockdown impacted my work greatly as I had no job for almost 6 months. Shelter Associates’ intervention of donating toilet construction materials to the families was a major source of livelihood for me. I started getting regular income as the families approached me for their toilet construction work.”
– Kapanna Laxman Pathrut, Mason (Kanan Nagar, Kolhapur)

The ‘One Home One Model’ has proved to play a dual role in community development. One being the assurance of safety, hygiene and well-being to the toilet owners and the other to provide income opportunities to the labour community involved in getting a beautiful home toilet available to the needy families.

Completed beneficiary toilets

Completed beneficiary toilets

SLUM HOUSEHOLDS GET THEIR INDEPENDENT DIGITAL ADDRESS THROUGH PLUS CODES

Having an independent accessible address means so much more than just having a place of living. As per 2014 World Bank Data, 24% families in India live in slums who are often packed into overcrowded homes and cramped living conditions. They either don’t have an address or have one that does not identify their house or business location accurately.  Therefore, for basic facilities and emergency services to reach their doorsteps, a navigable location address is a must in the present digital era and this is where Shelter Associates has partnered with Google and UNICEF to bring this unique and powerful solution known as Plus Codes to the have-nots of the city.

Steps to search location using Plus Code

Steps to search location using Plus Code

Plus Codes use latitude and longitude to produce a short, easy-to-share alpha-numeric digital address that can represent any location on earth. Whether you want to open a bank account, secure confidential letters or simply order food online, all you have to do is enter your unique Plus Code on google maps and get navigated to your doorsteps. Number plates with the plus code can be fixed on the doors of individual huts for ready reference of the unique address. Plus Codes also directs individuals or service providers to the nearest amenities such as water standposts, electrical posts, community Toilets, manholes, etc.

Closer view of Plus Code on slum maps

Closer view of Plus Code on a slum map

Shelter Associates strategises its preliminary Plus Code project in the slum settlements of Pune, Thane, Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai.

Slum dwellers receive an independent identity through this addressing solution for easy accessibility of services such as water, sanitation, healthcare, electricity, opening bank accounts, postal services, etc further saving time and guiding service providers to reach individual doorsteps. Also, emergency services such as Fire, Ambulance and Police can find them during an emergency.

Plus Code demonstration to communities

Plus Code demonstration to communities

The slum communities are also mobilised by Shelter Associates’ community workers through awareness workshops and personal meetings to understand the concept of plus codes and use it to their advantage. Large slum maps displaying household and infrastructure plus codes are also been installed in the slums for easy accessibility.

Slum residents of Laxmi Nagar reading the map

Slum residents of Laxmi Nagar reading the map

The plus code project is not limited to communities only but has also been playing an instrumental role for effective e-governance. Lack of granular data has always hampered governments from reaching out to the vulnerable families but through this initiative, the Urban Local Bodies will link this new data to their existing data through which they can access and update more precisely. They will be able to spatially pinpoint and analyze their database and use the same for effective and efficient service delivery which is also beneficial during Pandemics for facilitating the provision of emergency and essential services. Humanitarian groups, NGOs and Urban Local Bodies can easily find people needing basic aid along with tracking and monitoring programs related to health, education, etc.

Plus Code plate installed at the beneficiary's home entrance

Plus Code plate installed at the beneficiary’s home entrance

Refer to the Plus Code Film  for more information on Plus codes and its impact

SPREADING THE IMPORTANCE OF HAND HYGIENE

Hands are the main pathways of germ transmission during health care. Hand hygiene is therefore the most important measure to avoid the transmission of harmful germs and prevent health care-associated infections – World Health Organisation

COVID19 is rampant worldwide , and the disease declared as a pandemic has played havoc across nations. We can stay away from it if everyone undertakes safe practices to prevent this disease. Being a contagious one, it can be transmitted by touch. Just like during an illness, though we take various medicines and remedies for it; the root of many of the diseases that afflict us is in our unclean hands. 

Shelter Associates, an NGO based in Pune has been working actively in the informal settlements of Maharashtra to transform the lives of the urban poor through the provision of sanitation and hygiene since 1994. Realizing the need to provide relief during the World’s worst hit pandemic and ensuring the well-being of communities during this time, Shelter Associates have been partnering with global organisations to work towards a universal goal of a COVID free nation.

COMMUNITY MOBILISATION AROUND HAND WASHING

The objective of all of SA initiatives is not only to implement projects but to realise tangible positive change in the quality of the lives of the most vulnerable citizens. Mobilising communities has been one of the greatest strengths of Shelter Associates. Carefully strategised data driven planning helps us to have contextualised, meaningful discussions with slum residents through various awareness activities with women, children, adolescent girls, boys and men to bring about a behavioural change and thus develop good habits. In recent times, hand washing has gained greater significance and to inculcate that habit, SA conducts hand washing activities through hand wash demonstration songs and informal games such as snake & ladder and maze activity customised to impart knowledge on COVID19 and hand washing. Spatial maps are developed by SA to help community volunteers organise mobilisation and engage communities from different slum pockets. 

Sing-along Hand wash demonstration

Sing-along Hand wash demonstration

Informal activity games

Informal activity games

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISTRIBUTION OF 5 LAKH SOAPS TO FRONTLINE WORKERS

Shelter Associates has been working with UNICEF India since August 2020 to facilitate its ‘Flush the Virus’ program in selected COVID19 affected slums of Pune, Thane and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, India. The partnership involves installation of pedal operated hand wash stations near community toilets in slums, awareness on safe use of community facilities, encouraging the use of household Toilets, mobilizing  communities on COVID19 prevention & 100% mask use.

Girl from the community holding soaps

Girl from the community holding soaps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelter Associates has further joined the cause with UNICEF in providing support to selected slums and municipal corporations of Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Kolhapur to combat the pandemic around WASH by inculcating the habit of handwashing. 

With support from Hindustan Unilever Ltd., 5 lakh Moti soaps have been distributed to COVID warriors including front line workers, ragpickers, sanitary and healthcare workers and slum households where there was a high prevalence of the pandemic.

This will definitely be both a public awareness and health protection initiative for the cleaning staff and the slum dwellers who are working as sanitation envoys. Therefore, I truly thank Hindustan Lever, UNICEF and Shelter Associates, says Sudhakar Deshmukh, Panvel Municipal Commissioner.

Distributing soaps to slum families

Distributing soaps to slum families

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soaps given to sanitation workers

Soaps given to sanitation workers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soaps given to Municipal Corporations

Soaps given to Municipal Corporations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLOBAL HAND WASH DAY 2020

October 15 is celebrated around the world as ‘World Handwashing Day’ to raise awareness about hand hygiene. Shelter Associates, UNICEF and various Municipal Corporations have jointly celebrated the day in the informal settlements of Maharashtra.

Municipal Corporations have jointly celebrated the day in the informal settlements of Maharashtra. The slum settlements of 4 cities of Maharashtra namely Laxmi nagar, Vadarwadi and Ambedkar nagar in Pune; Chinchpada in Navi Mumbai; Lokmanya nagar in Thane; and Kanan Nagar in Kolhapur were selected to conduct various awareness activities around the Global Hand Wash Day. A week-long celebration was underway in these settlements from 12th to 16th October 2020

Global Handwash Week

Global Handwash Week

Based on the Global Hand washing Theme, various competitions organized were:

  • Rangoli competition
  • Poster making competition
  • Essay competition
  • Slogan writing competition
  • Video making competition 
  • Poem writing competition
  • Live hand wash demonstrations
  • Awareness Rally

Poster Making Competition

Poster Making Competition

Awareness Rally on hand washing

Awareness Rally on hand washing

Rangoli Competition

Rangoli Competition

Hand washing demonstrations to children

Hand washing demonstrations to children

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health talk by Medical Officers

Health talk by Medical Officers

The program in different slums were visited by the respective Municipal Corporation officials, sanitary officers along with Shelter Associates representatives. Over 2000 individuals were impacted directly and indirectly through the Global Hand wash Week celebration.

Clean hands are essential to health, whether in an emergency or day-to-day life. The importance of hand washing has been further elevated by the fact that COVID19 has  spread all over the country. Therefore to protect our communities and provide relief to these COVID warriors and vulnerable slum families, Shelter Associates encourages good hand washing habits through awareness campaigns, live demonstrations, competitions and soap distribution.

PROTECTING COMMUNITIES THROUGH SAFE SANITATION

Pratima Joshi reflects on the work of Shelter Associates during the COVID-19 pandemic the vulnerability of slum settlements

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our worlds upside down. The most adverse effect is seen on the well-being of the weaker sections of the society residing in the informal settlements. The present condition demands a major focus on health and hygiene, as there are innumerable slum families who still have issues accessing safe sanitation.

Shelter Associates, an NGO providing sanitation and housing for the urban slums of Maharashtra, has facilitated over 20,000 individual household toilets to the slum communities and continues its efforts even in the pandemic situation.

Using spatial data in communities

Volunteers using spatial maps in the community

While the present focus is inevitably on health and sanitation, Pune’s densely populated Laxmi Nagar slum in the Kothrud neighborhood has emerged as the newest COVID-19 hotspot due to inadequate space for social distancing and lack of proper clean toilets.

The slum houses 1,087 families, primarily serving as construction workers and housemaids. Based on the previous slum data generated by Shelter Associates in 2018, 43 percent of families had no individual toilets and were dependent entirely on community toilets, which meant that for each toilet block, 40 people were using it. On the flip side, 57 percent of families had their own toilets, out of which 55 percent were unusable due to insufficient and poorly maintained drainage lines*. In such a scenario, there was huge pressure on the community toilets, which were overused and poorly maintained, which posed a health threat to the inhabitants using them.

Swati Vairage, a resident of Laxmi Nagar, whose two young children have survived the COVID-19 virus, feels the dire need for an individual household toilet. “I don’t want me or my children to go out to the community toilet again,” says Swati.

Responding to the grief of Swati and many others at Laxmi Nagar, Shelter Associates has initiated its “One Home One Toilet” cost-sharing model. It provides people toilet construction materials free of cost at their doorstep with the beneficiary families investing in its construction.

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s lack of funds for laying additional drainage lines or clearing the existing lines did not diminish the hopes of the residents who decided to work proactively to improvise the situation. They voluntarily invested in laying an additional 40ft drainage pipeline and contributed money toward getting the drainage lines cleaned with a collective motto to get their home toilets ready for use and make provisions for those who are yet to build one.

Local resident Balu Dandekar has been instrumental in easing the entire implementation process: from identifying families that need individual toilets to liaising with the urban local bodies and police to get permission to enter the containment zone. His influence and active cooperation at every step enabled Shelter Associates to continue its efforts and also build a good rapport with the residents.

Spatial map of lazmi Nagar, Pune

Spatial map of laxmi Nagar, Pune

To date, over 102 individual household toilets have been facilitated at Laxmi Nagar, while many more await material distribution. Laxmi Nagar sets an example to all other slum communities as we see a positive change through the willingness of the community and the involved NGO whose joint efforts facilitated a cleaner and safer living amidst the most traumatic situation prevailing around. More so, we see a behavioral change among people who now recognize the importance and are demanding a household toilet as opposed to the age-old notion of defecating away from their homes. Shelter Associates hope to improve the sanitation situation of the residents of Laxmi Nagar and all other communities who are already living in extreme conditions waiting for help to reach their doorsteps.

*Data derived through Rapid Household Survey conducted by Shelter Associates

The article is published on the web portal of Salzburg Global Seminar
https://www.salzburgglobal.org/news/opinions/article/protecting-communities-through-safe-sanitation 
(Pratima Joshi is a Salzburg Global Fellow who is currently taking part in the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network, a program held in partnership with the Nippon Foundation)

TACKLING COVID19 WITH DATA

One of the major concerns of the Covid19 pandemic is the emerging hotspots in slum areas of big cities. As the deadly virus is spreading at an alarming speed in the state of Maharashtra, it can spread very rapidly in the low-income, high density settlements having low disease immunity and inadequate medical facilities. These settlements form an integral and important part of the city’s economy and a breakout of the pandemic in these communities will have a cascading effect which can lead to its spread at all strata of society. Lack of granular data on slums hamper governments from systematic monitoring and tracking the spread of this virus and then fighting and mitigating this pandemic. It is now even more necessary that we have a good tracking mechanism in place when it comes to individual households in slums.

Shelter Associates (SA), an NGO based in Pune who actively works on Sanitation and Housing for the urban slums of Maharashtra, with a recent milestone achievement of facilitation of over 20,000 individual household toilets for the slum families; has invested in creating spatial data on slums of 7 cities of Maharashtra in the last 2 decades and made mapping of slum data a vital component of its work. SA has demonstrated how this data can become an excellent planning tool to effectively deliver essential services like water, sanitation, housing etc. Through the medium of GIS mapping, infrastructural mapping and individual household surveys, Shelter Associates has created a strong database of slum communities and families and has now proved to be a boon in facilitating various relief campaigns helping the vulnerable families during the Covid19 outbreak. The data is also shared with the various Municipal Corporations of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kolhapur, Thane, Navi-Mumbai and Panvel who can use our granular data as an excellent planning tool to effectively deliver essential services. In addition to that, the concerned Government authorities can identify the households with Corona positive patients and as an immediate step can create a buffer of families around that house who will need to be screened. “Through the data and slum maps generated by Shelter Associates, it has become very easy for us to identify and track the slum families at this crucial hour”, says Mr. Nilkanth Dhondiram Poman, Chief IT Officer, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Example of how spatial data can help to plan strategically track the cases and high-risk houses in the buffer. A house in red colour shows the house of a suspected patient and houses in pink are high risk houses and families from those houses might be required to screen.

Example of how spatial data can help to plan strategically track the cases and high-risk houses in the buffer. A house in red colour shows the house of a suspected patient and houses in pink are high risk houses and families from those houses might be required to screen.

 

As a direct relief, Shelter Associates plans and conducts community outreach through telephonic campaigns to create awareness within the slum communities in not only educating the people on Covid19 and its prevention, but also busting the various myths and misconceptions surrounding the virus. The callers are also made aware of Emergency helpline numbers where they can easily reach out for help. Moreover, through a comprehensive analysis of the slum data, Shelter Associates has identified vulnerable slum communities in Maharashtra and have extended support through the distribution of Hygiene kits and Essential Food Grains. With the support of external funders, SA has strategically distributed hygiene kits comprising sanitizer, face masks, soaps and phenyl to 750 slum families in Pune, 850 families in Kolhapur, 550 families in Panvel and 150 cleanliness workers and policemen in Thane. At the same time, SA distributed food grains to 430 families in Pune and 20 families in Miraj. For that, SA has identified and trained volunteers from the community who work tirelessly along with the SA team to provide relief to the communities. It is an ongoing effort and till date, over 11800 individuals are facilitated with the Hygiene items and Food grains in selected slums of Pune, Kolhapur, Thane, Panvel and Miraj, Maharashtra.

Shelter Associates team ready for action

Shelter Associates team ready for action

Hygiene kit being packed for distribution

Cleanliness workers provided with essential hygiene items

Cleanliness workers provided with essential hygiene items

Distribution of dry ration to the needy families

Distribution of dry ration to the needy families

“Shelter Associates has been helping poor people like us even during this corona crisis. The materials such as masks, soaps, phenyl provided to us are very useful and essential for maintaining good health and hygiene as the disease will spread very quickly in the settlement”, says Meena Sontakke from Yadav nagar vasti, Kolhapur.

On the whole, spatial data is useful for organizations like governments, businesses, and humanitarian agencies to locate the slum households for the facilitation of services and welfare schemes and to enhance the ability of public and government authorities to plan, manage and develop the service system matrix.

http://shelter-associates.org/covid-19 

Ask an Innovator: Shelter Associates

“Though change is inevitable, building upon lessons learned is a critical step to shape more effective solutions moving forward.”

The following is an article published on the Results for Development website.
We appreciate and thank them for the support given to us.

Ask an Innovator: Shelter Associates by Eva Adler

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”- William Pollard.

Though change is inevitable, building upon lessons learned is a critical step to shape more effective solutions moving forward. Not only do these conversations about past challenges cultivate better dialogues about innovation, most importantly, they catalyze new approaches to best tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Shelter Associates exemplifies this kind of innovation in the water sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. Shelter is a non-profit organization that works alongside the urban poor, particularly women, in Maharashtra, India to provide technical support to community-managed slum rehabilitation housing (including security of tenure), and essential services projects. One of the most innovative aspects of Shelter’s work is how geospatial data is integrated into the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) process and verifies sanitation improvements across project sites.

Pratima Joshi, founder of Shelter, spoke to Results for Development (R4D) about a story of a success and of a challenge the organization has experienced since its founding in 1994, and most importantly, how they drew lessons from those experiences to develop their model for greater impact.

Story of a Success

One of the largest challenges facing Shelter, like many water-focused organizations, is the lack of in-country infrastructure and resources to effectively deliver WASH services to everyone. The Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Slum in Sinhagad, Pune, which is home to 87 households and some 329 people, offers a good example of a place where providing WASH services is challenging, due to its location and very poor population. Open defecation rates were particularly high in this slum due to technical challenges to build a sewer system on the rugged steep sloped terrain.
However, Shelter’s staff were undeterred to tackle the problem. When they started their work in the city of Pune, and the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Slum, two key challenges were immediately obvious:

1) The lack of real time data to assess on-site realities and general knowledge of already existing infrastructures;

2) The city’s lack of proper consultation and collaboration with stakeholders during the process of installing community toilets in urban slums.

In order to overcome these challenges, Shelter Associates identified two key methods to accelerate and uplift local sanitation conditions. Its approach, unlike others, moved beyond providing basic sanitation structures and services, to included inclusive and cross-sectoral strategies to cultivate more innovative solutions.

To better understand on-site realities, Shelter Associates incorporated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping software to accurately display spatial information across the slum (houses, sanitation facilities, and common defecation locations). Increased awareness of existing infrastructure in the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Slum was a direct outcome of this addition. The project also increased knowledge of ground realities and the impact Shelter’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and education programs had across households. Greater data availability for the slum also meant more opportunities for the urban poor to participate in larger city planning agendas and decision-making processes.

To strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration, Shelter unified policy makers, local leaders, and regional non-profits (NGO’s) to inform the planning and implementation stages of the city’s urban slum community toilet initiatives. They facilitated community focused gatherings and inclusive workshops, which were well attended by women and children. Although a time intensive process, this enabled Shelter to strengthen personal relationships and trust with community members. This approach was the most successful method to enable community participation and most importantly, inform the urban slum management process.

Since the start of the project in 2013, GIS maps have pointed to improvements in the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Slum – the prevalence of open defecation has fallen dramatically and now the slum is nearly 95% open defecation free. In a few years alone, Shelter has contributed to the 60% decrease in open defecation and given households the opportunity to live in improved sanitation conditions.

Pratima Joshi explains, “Now since Shelter’s intervention, the slum has been transformed from one of the worst living conditions in Pune, to a clean, more respectful place where people live safely and with dignity. People now feel less marginalized and more valued. They can see how Shelter and the government have undertaken a lot of trouble to help improve their lives.”
The Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Slum highlights an excellent case study of a project ‘win’. Even with immense challenges from the beginning, Shelter Associates identified barriers and overcame challenges in the slum. With determination and persistence, Shelter created innovative strategies and will continue to use these approaches in its future work.

Story of a Challenge

As Pratima Joshi from Shelter reflects upon organizational experiences, she recalls a particular story of a challenge or something that did not go as planned. She described this as a “lessons learned”.

In 2000, Shelter Associates participated in the Pune toilet project led by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local non-profit organizations (NGO’s). The objective of the PMC was to build sustainable community toilets in the urban slums of Pune, however, mistakes were made along the way which Shelter has since learned from and applied into its own work going forward.
Pratima explains, “Various organizations were roped into building toilets within a limited time frame and led to many maintenance challenges in the community.”

The narrow focus of only building toilets in the urban slum led to weak community involvement. The inability to mobilize local leaders and community members created a capacity gap in the toilet program and hindered the implementation and sustainability of the program as planned.
Pratima recalls, “At the time, there wasn’t the capacity or time for us to properly assess existing infrastructure. There was also a lack of consultation and communication between the local councilor, the communities, and other partnering organizations.”

The lack of unification prevented the success of the city’s slum toilet initiative. Shelter took this lesson learned and made mobilization a non- negotiable step in its work. Since then, Shelter has integrated more urban slums community leaders and decision makers into the urban planning process and increased impact for on-site realities.

Though innovation and learning go hand in hand, Shelter Associates has learned that success and challenges never remain static. The ability to adapt and redirect after a challenge, or as Pratima puts it “lessons learned”, is a critical step to cultivate and implement innovative approaches in our ever changing world. Shelter Associates most of all, is an excellent example for other innovators to integrate lessons learned into organizational approaches to reach greater impact.