Category: Individual Toilet Projects

मासिक पाळी हा शब्दच चारचौघात महिला-मुलीनी  उच्चारणे म्हणजे महापाप असा अलिखित नियम समाजात रूढ असताना एखाद्या पुरुषाने मासिक पाळी बद्दल चारचौघात बोलणे  तर दुरापास्तच. समाजात आज सुद्धा स्त्रीच्या मासिक पाळी संदर्भात अनेक  गैरसमज व अंधश्रद्धा आहेत. काही दिवसांपूर्वी घडलेल्या एका घटनेचा इथे आवर्जून उल्लेख केला पाहिजे खरतर त्या आठवणीने सुद्धा अस्वस्थ व्हायला होते. बहिणीला आलेल्या  मासिक पाळी बद्दल गैरसमज करून घेतल्याने भावाने बहिणीचा जीव घेतला. अज्ञान माणसाला किती खोल गर्तेत घेऊन जाते हे या घटनेवरून स्पष्ट होते. देवाचा कोप या संकल्पने पासून सुरु झालेली अंधश्रद्धा शरीर संबंध झाल्याने रक्तस्त्राव होतोय असे समजून पाळी आलेल्या मुलीचा जीव जाई पर्यंत असू शकते. आजही बऱ्याच धर्मांमध्ये स्त्रीला मासिक पाळीच्या काळात अपवित्र मानलं जातं. आधुनिक वैज्ञानिक युगा मध्ये आजही मासिक पाळी संदर्भात समाजात इतकी अंधश्रद्धा का आहे याचा  विविध अनुषंगाने  विचार होणे आवश्यक आहे. 

वस्ती पातळीवर महिलांसाठी मासिक पाळी या विषयावर संवाद साधणे हे तर मोठे कौशल्याचे काम. सामूहिक सभेत  संवाद साधताना  एक महत्वाची गोष्ट लक्षात आली ती म्हणजे महिला आणि मुलींना अजूनही स्त्रीच्या शारीरिक रचने बद्दल पूर्ण माहिती असतेच असे नाही किंबहुना तशी माहिती मिळवण्याचा प्रयत्न करणाऱ्यांचे प्रमाण देखील कमी आहे.  जसे कान-नाक-डोळे-हात-पाय हे शरीराचे अवयव आहेत तसेच इतर भागांचा समावेश देखील अवयव म्हणूनच होतो या बद्दलच मुख्यतः अनभिज्ञता आहे. मासिक पाळी म्हणजे काहीतरी नवी समस्या, त्रास असून हा संभ्रम अगदी आयुष्यभर जोपासला जातो. महिलांची स्वतःच्या शरीराबाद्दलची गत जर अशी असेल तर मासिक पाळी समजुती बद्दलची  पुरुषांची स्थिती किती बिकट असेल याचा विचार न केलेलाच बरा. आज पर्यंत पुरुषांनी या बाबत जास्त माहिती न घेतल्याने स्त्रियांच्या मासिक पाळी बद्दल पुरुषांच्या मनात अनेक गैरसमज आहेत. तसेच याबाबतचे किती आणि कोणते स्त्रोत पुरुषांपर्यंत माहिती घेऊन पोहचले आहेत हे जाणून घेणे देखील तितकेच महत्वाचे वाटले. आणि यातूनच   वस्ती मधील पुरुषांसोबत आणि वयात येणाऱ्या तरुण मुलां बरोबर  मासिक पाळी संदर्भात संवाद साधायचे आणि नक्की या मुलांच्या डोक्यात या विषयी काय चालू आहे हे शोधायचे ठरले. 

पुण्यातील वस्त्यांमध्ये यासाठी संवाद साधण्यास सुरवात केली. या  विषयावर महिला, मुलींसोबत चर्चा करणे हे तरुणमुले व पुरुषांसोबत चर्चा करण्यापेक्षा सोपे असते. त्यांच्याशी संवाद साधताना मुळातच सुरवात कोठून करायची असा प्रश्न असतो. चर्चेसाठी खूप औपचारिक वातावरण तयार केले तर बहुतेकवेळा तरुण चर्चेला थांबतच नाहीत, मग अनुभव सांगणे हे तर फारच दूर. म्हणून शक्य तितके अनौपचारिक वातावरण तयार करून त्यांच्या सोबत चर्चा घडवण्यात आली.  मासिक पाळी म्हणजे काय? याविषयी एकतर  पुरुषांनी  आपसात  उघडपणे  चर्चा  करणे  अत्यंत अवघड आहे. सहाजिकच  या विषयावर तरुणांशी संवाद साधायला सुरुवात केल्यावर पहिली प्रतिक्रिया आली “ अहो  सर आपण दुसऱ्या विषयावर बोलूयात ” . जी  तरुणमुले  शाळा आणि महाविद्यालयात शिकत आहेत त्यांना सुद्धा स्त्रीला मासिक पाळी का येते याची शास्त्रीय माहिती नसते. बायकांच्या पोटात प्रत्येक महिन्याला काही तरी तयार होतं आणि ते सर्व घाणीच्या स्वरूपात प्रत्येक महिन्याला शरीरा बाहेर पडत असत. यातूनच शरीरातील अशुद्ध/ दूषित रक्त शरीरा बाहेर पडत ही भ्रामक कल्पना पुढे आली.

चर्चे दरम्यान तरुणांना मासिक पाळी संदर्भात माहिती मिळण्याचे स्त्रोत काय आहेत हे शोधण्याची उत्सुकता शिगेला पोहोचली होती. त्यांच्या बरोबर संवाद साधताना तुम्हाला शाळेत अथवा महाविद्यालयात मासिक पाळी आरोग्याबद्दल माहिती देत असतील ना? असा प्रश्न विचारल्यावर तरुणांकडून आलेले उत्तर मात्र पूर्णपणे बुचकळ्यात टाकणारे होते. शाळेत अथवा महाविद्यालयात वैयक्तिक आरोग्या संबंधी माहिती दिली जाते, परंतु त्यामध्ये मुलांना स्त्रीच्या मासिक पाळी वैगरे संबंधी काहीही माहिती दिली जात नाही. मुलींसाठी वेगळे माहिती सत्र असल्याने त्यांना कदाचित ही माहिती देण्यात येत असावी असे मत बहुतेक तरुणानी व्यक्त केले.  शैक्षणिक संस्थेतच ही माहिती तरुणांना देणे टाळले जात असेल तर स्त्रीच्या मासिक पाळी आणि आरोग्या संबंधी जागरूकता कशी निर्माण होणार? मूळ स्त्रोताकडून माहिती देणे नाकारले गेल्याने मुले त्यांच्या शालेय जीवनापासून माहिती मिळविण्याच्या उत्सुकतेपोटी विविध स्त्रोत शोधण्यास सुरवात करतात. हे स्त्रोत अचूक आणि शास्त्रीय दृष्टीकोनातून माहिती देणारे असतातच असे नाही. या उलट काहीवेळा  मुलांच्या मनात जास्तच गोंधळ निर्माण होतो परिणामी  त्याचे रूपांतर अशास्त्रीय दृष्टीकोनातं होऊन हिंसात्मक कृत्यांचा जन्म होतो.

मासिक पाळी सुरु होण्याचे वय या संदर्भात सुद्धा वस्तीमधील युवकांना माहिती नसल्याचे निदर्शनास आले. अठराव्या वर्षी मुलीचे रूपांतर बाई मध्ये होते म्हणून मुलींना मासिक पाळी वयाच्या अठराव्या वर्षी येते असे बहुतेक युवकांचे मत होते. पाळी म्हणजे काहीतरी घाणेरडा प्रकार असतो कारण तेव्हा शरीरातील दूषित रक्त बाहेर टाकले जाते आणि त्यामुळे खूप आजार पसरू शकतात असाही गैरसमज असतो. पोटामध्ये महिनाभर दूषित रक्त जमा होते आणि मग महिन्याभराने  ते शरीरा बाहेर टाकले जाते आणि ते बाहेर जाणेच  चांगले कारण त्यामुळे शरीरातील रक्त शुद्ध होते…अशा कित्येक भ्रामक कल्पना आहेत. खरे पाहता योग्य वेळी या संदर्भात मार्गदर्शन मिळाले तर असा गैरसमज होण्याची वेळच येणार नाही. घरामध्ये आईची किंवा बहिणीची होणारी चिडचिड समजू शकली नाही याचे कारण घरामध्ये कधीही मासिक पाळी आणि त्या वेळेची   स्त्रियांची  मानसिक स्थिती  या विषयी कधीच  बोलले गेले  नसल्याचे  युवकांनी सांगितले.

खरंतर पौंगडावस्थेत मुला-मुलींमध्ये होणारे शारीरिक बदल, आरोग्य, मासिक पाळी, त्यासाठी घ्यावयाची काळजी, स्वच्छता या सर्व मुद्यांवर मुलांबरोबर घरगुती पातळीवर मोकळेपणाने चर्चा होणे महत्वाचे व गरजेचे आहे . परंतु बरेचदा पालकांना याचे महत्व कळत नाही किंवा हा विषय चर्चा करण्यासारखा आहे असे देखील त्यांना वाटत नाही. वस्तीपातळीवर तर पालक घरामध्ये सर्वाना दोनवेळेचे जेवण मिळेल किंवा नाही अशा सारख्या प्रश्नात गुंतलेले असतात. म्हणजेच या प्रश्नावर सामाजिक आणि आर्थिक परिस्थितीचा देखील प्रभाव पडत असतो.

योग्य स्त्रोतांद्वारे माहिती न मिळाल्याने साहजिकच उत्सुकतेपोटी तरुण अयोग्य स्त्रोतांच्या मार्गाने माहिती मिळवितात, जी त्यांच्या मानसिक आणि शारीरिक विकासासाठी घातक ठरू शकते. अश्लील साहित्य, ऐकीव माहिती हे त्यामधील प्रमुख स्त्रोत असल्याचे या युवकांकडून समजले. बऱ्याच वेळा तरुणांना त्यांच्या प्रेयसीकडून काही प्रमाणात माहिती समजते असे सुद्धा काही तरुणांनी सांगितले. परंतु प्रेयसीकडून समजलेली माहिती कितपत अचूक आहे या बद्दलही साशंकता आहे. कारण अजूनही शहरी वस्त्यांमध्ये स्त्रीच्या  मासिक पाळी संदर्भात अंधश्रद्धा आहेत.  महिलांसोबत शारीरिक आरोग्य, मासिक पाळी अशा विषयावर काम करणाऱ्या खंडीभर संस्था सध्या समाजात कार्यरत आहेत. पुण्यातील वस्त्यांमध्ये देखील विविध सामाजिक संस्था याप्रकारचे कार्य करत आहेत. तसेच  शासकीय पातळीवर देखील कार्यक्रम राबविले जातात . परंतु तरीही आजपर्यंत मासिक पाळी आणि स्त्रीचे शारीरिक  आरोग्य या संबंधी मोठ्याप्रमाणावर अंधश्रद्धा आणि गैरसमज  आहेत  याची जाणीव काम करताना होत आहे . शासकीय व सामाजिक संस्थां शास्त्रीय दृष्टिकोन विकसित करण्यात का कमी पडत आहेत हा एक महत्वाचा प्रश्नच आहे. वैयक्तिक आरोग्य आणि मासिक पाळी याविषयां संबंधी महिलांप्रमाणेच पुरुषां सोबत बरोबरीने काम व्हायला  पाहिजे पण  ते का होत नाही असे प्रश्न अनुत्तरीतच आहेत. मासिक पाळी व आरोग्य नियोजनामध्ये पुरुषांचा सहभाग असणे अत्यंत जरुरीचे असून याबाबत काम होणे आवश्यक आहे. आज पर्यंत केवळ कुतूहलापोटी तरी किती पुरुषांनी सॅनिटरी पॅड हातामध्ये घेऊन पहिला असेल का  याबद्दलही प्रश्नच आहे…

– मंगेश कदम, Mobilization Training Manager (शेल्टर ससोसिएट्स)

मंगेशचा व्यावसायिक समाजकार्य आणि विकास क्षेत्रातील १० पेक्षा जास्त वर्षांचा अनुभव. पत्रकारिता मधील बॅचलर पदवी, व्यावसायिक समाज कार्यातील मास्टर पदवी, तत्वज्ञानातील मास्टर पदवी, तत्वज्ञानातील डॉक्टर पदवी (सुरू आहे).

What if women stopped menstruating? The very world would cease to exist.. It’s a pathway to bring the most conscious beings called humans into existence. But ironically, any discussion on this beautiful natural phenomenon of the body is taboo, and has adversely impacted girls and women in our society for generations. 

Every month, 1.8 billion women across the world menstruate. Millions of these girls, women, transgender men and non-binary persons cannot manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified and healthy way. The onset of menstruation is a new phase of body and mind, but it often gets stigmatised and socially excluded. It is an unspoken subject; therefore, many women and girls are unaware of its functioning, leading to many misbeliefs. 

The absorbent to collect menstrual blood differed as per the times. In ancient and mediaeval times, women were not using anything and their clothes soaked in the discharge.. There are references that they used to wear sweet-smelling herbs around their wrists and neck to lower the menstrual blood smell. There are references to using a Hoosier Sanitary Belt that they put around the waist. Since menstruation is associated with shame and taboo and women were considered untouchables during this cycle, they never discussed the proper absorbents to protect and ease the process. Even today, many women use an old cloth as absorbent and hide it from public view. It is kept in unhygienic conditions, dried in inadequate, or hidden under other material. This practice has created massive health issues for women. 

In the modern era, disposable sanitary pads were introduced. Such products have wood pulp, plastic, and many chemicals such as polypropylene and polyethylene to enable lick-free self-adhesive pads. Since it is a disposable product, women were relieved from the pain they have been through. But the fact remains that now female genitals are closely associated with loaded chemicals and plastic. It is harming not only the female body but also the mother earth. The entire content of disposable pads is plastic which takes approximately 500-800 years to disintegrate after disposal. Assuming one billion DSNs are disposed of yearly, handling menstrual waste becomes a colossal task. This also contributes to the waste crisis overall.

To resolve this issue, nowadays, incinerators have been introduced to burn used pads. Over the years, disposable pads have spoiled the soil, and the new innovation is now polluting the air. With burning, all the pollution goes into the air. The women and girls residing in low-income communities are more vulnerable as they don’t even have safe and private access to menstruation, so they often depend on public or community sanitation facilities in slum communities. 

We at SA, rigorously work and advocate for home toilets. Our ‘One Home One Toilet ‘project has reached more than 26,500 households across seven cities of Maharashtra and has resolved this concern for many women and girls. Still, disposing of the used pads is an issue. It is observed that these pads get dumped in toilet windows or a toilet pan directly, resulting in choked drains and unhygienic health concerns for many. 

Considering all of it, Shelter Associates is committed to handling this crisis in a unique way. We are promoting sustainable menstruation in the communities we are working with.  breaking the taboos and celebrating it publicly. SA  especially focuses on young women and adolescent girls and invites them for in-depth workshops on menstrual health. Such workshops explain the basic body anatomy and reproductive organs and their functioning. Most of the time, it is observed that women are unaware of how their genitals are from the outside or inside. There is a discussion around various misbeliefs about menstruation that gets answered with scientific information in workshops. 

SA consciously tries to switch menstruating women from using hazardous disposal pads towards adopting sustainable and eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products such as biodegradable sanitary napkins, reusable cloth pads, and menstrual cups. 

 Women are introduced to eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products like menstrual cups and cloth pads

Milestones of this initiative: 

• More than 2,200 women have switched to sustainable products such as biodegradable pads, cloth pads, and menstrual cups. 
• Out of which, 600 women switched to using a menstrual cup, which means 5,76,000 pads are now saved from going to dumping sites while using this one cup. 
• On average, one box of pad costs Rs. 50. These women have saved Rs. 28,80,000 for the next eight years. 
• 529 women have used biodegradable products, which would take six to 12 months to decompose otherwise. 
• 86 women have started using cloth pads, which means we saved pollution by stopping disposing of more than 10000 pads.  
• Together they saved more than Rs. 1,00,000

We look forward to making each community achieve zero-waste menstruation. We hope this campaign reaches to more cities, states and eventually more nations. We need conscious actions towards making a difference in not only human lives but our environment as well. We are interdependent by nature, and it’s time to take action now to ensure synergy between all the living beings on our planet and who better than the woman to take the lead!

– Blog is written by Dhanshree Gurav, Director (WASH), Shelter Associates

Hello everyone!

My name is Rohit Kalpande. I recently joined the NGO Shelter Associates as a Junior GIS analyst. The first month at this organisation was all about understanding and adapting to the work and my responsibilities. I was elated when I was asked to join the GIS team that was to visit Kotagiri, a beautiful hill station in the Nilgiris. I was very excited as this was going to be an enriching learning experience and an opportunity to collaborate with the Keystone Foundation. 

Every day at Kotagiri was a new experience for me. Even though the area, settlements and people were different, I observed that one thing remains constant – people are facing similar problems and are in dire need of effective solutions.  Meetings were conducted in every settlement where the process and usage of spatial maps were explained to the community and the Keystone staff members. I was pleased by the curiosity and excitement of the community. Over the week we carried out the mapping, numbering of structures and surveys. Our stint in Kotagiri ended with a presentation on the various maps produced and how it can be leveraged to trace patterns of wildlife and the living conditions of the community. They recognised the power of data and how it can be utilised to save the human and wildlife population. 

As a newbie in the GIS department, this was a complete eye-opener. I was able to understand the process of spatial data mapping and how it can contribute to real life problem solving. The pleasant weather and picturesque tea plantations were the icing on the cake. I look forward to the opportunity of gaining more exposure to spatial data mapping and witnessing the impact it has on improving people’s lives. 

Beautiful beaches, food, and pleasant climate are what come to our mind when we think of Goa. Recently, I got a chance to visit this amazing tourist destination to attend a Tech Sprint hosted by Avni. This annual event brings together Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from across the country to discuss their work and how the Avni platform is utilized to resolve some of the most pressing social and environmental issues.

What is Avni?

Avni is an open-source platform for doing field surveys and data collection. It also acts as a Case management system for non-profit organizations. It provides facilities to work with different sectors – like health, water, education, and sanitation & hygiene.

Avni – Bringing new technology to Non-profits

The three-day event included a wide range of activities, such as NGO tech talks, panel discussions, and knowledge-sharing sessions. The first day began with a unique introduction session where all the participants got to know one another, and share delicacies brought from their respective states. This was followed by an NGO talks session, during which NGOs shared their experiences and highlighted the impetus provided by Avni to their social development work.

Talking about toilets is really uncomfortable but we at Shelter Associates do just that – we not only talk about Toilets but also help underprivileged people build one. According to UN-Water, 15% of people in the world don’t have access to a toilet. Every day, over 700 children in India under five year old die from diarrhea linked to unsafe water, sanitation and poor hygiene. Toilet at home means menstruating girls, elderly and disabled people do not have to face the indignity of relieving outside. Have you ever imagined yourself living without a toilet? Life without a toilet at home is dirty, inconvenient, dangerous and undignified.

Tackling the global sanitation crisis and achieving sustainable development goal #6, we need to provide water and sanitation for all by 2030. Despite the fact that sanitation is a recognized human right by the United Nations, there is an urgent need for a massive investment and innovation to quadruple progress all along the sanitation chain, from toilets to the transportation, collection, and treatment of human waste. The main theme of U.N-Water this year is valuing toilets. The main aim is to focus on the underfunded, poorly managed parts of the world, mostly with disastrous repercussions for health, economy, and the environment, particularly in the poorest and most vulnerable families. Shelter Associates started working on sanitation  in Maharashtra even before sanitation started drawing the attention of the Government of India. In 2013 Shelter Associates started the landmark project, “One Home One Toilet”, to deliver household toilets to the families at informal settlements on a cost-sharing basis.

According to the Government Of India, India is the largest open defecating nation in the world, where almost 15 percent of the total population have no access to sanitation which has a detrimental impact on the health, education, financial security, and safety of people living in informal communities. SA facilitates access to sanitation in informal settlements by: (1) setting up a very robust spatial data platform to pinpoint families who lack access to basic sanitation, (2) facilitating the construction of household toilets, (3) conducting various behavioral change activities to increase awareness within the community and (4) providing a forum for discussing sanitation issues.

On the occasion of World Toilet Day on 19th November 2021, Shelter Associates celebrated the milestone of completion of 24000+ individual toilets in various informal settlements of Pune, Thane, Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai along with the completion of the 100th individual toilet in Shramik Vasahat community in the Vishrantwadi ward of Pune. Present at the event were different dignitaries from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local leaders from the area. 

Often neglected are the ones who keep our community toilets safe and sanitized, such caretakers of community toilets from the 4 cities were felicitated as ‘Sanitation Warriors’ by the esteemed guests. Their efforts and years of hard work were appreciated by all. The day was marked with events to increase awareness of sanitation issues. Members from various informal settlements of Pune, Thane, Kolhapur and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporations participated in the Toilet decoration competition, drawing competition, musical chairs, ‘Majhi galli, Swachh galli’ initiative and other events related to sanitation. 

These joint efforts of community members, Government officials of the 4 Municipal Corporations, and Shelter Associates team were lauded by all guests as a model worth emulating for other communities. Sustained dedication and commitment by all stakeholders alone can help us achieve our Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of clean water and adequate sanitation for all by 2030. 

Over the years, the slum population in India has soared along with its growing urban population. Regarded as an area unsuitable for human habitation with deplorable sanitation conditions, slums in India often fight over concerns of good health and hygiene.

Traditionally, slum dwellers had to depend on Community sanitation as home toilets were not even considered as a possibility by the urban local bodies. As per the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), it is estimated that families residing in slum settlements are most likely to use community sanitation facilities as a solution to open defecation due to space and financial constraints in constructing a home toilet. However, for the first time with the launch of SBM, there was immense thrust given to providing household toilets in slums wherever possible.

Shelter Associates, an NGO working in seven cities of Maharashtra, have been focusing on improving the sanitation situation in the informal settlements through facilitation of household toilets. With SA’s focused efforts on the facilitation of home toilets, many slums have become ODF and ODF+ in these cities. However, there is always a small percentage of families who can get left out due to various constraints and continue to be dependent on Community toilets.

Hence the moot question is how to create sustainable sanitation practices in the use of community toilets? This is especially important in the context of COVID19 with its concerns of community hygiene.

In settlements where SA has facilitated OHOT, the direct impact was the reduction of pressure on community toilets as more and more families opted for a home toilet. In some slums the Community toilet seat to family ratio is reduced between 1:2 to 1:4. Shelter Associates have therefore strategized on distributing the CTB toilet seats to individual families who do not own a home toilet. Every toilet seat within the CTB will be allocated to two or three resident families who would be responsible for its upkeep.

This will provide multiple benefits to the families; Firstly, it would eliminate waiting time. Secondly, since the seats would be used only by 2-3 families who would also undertake the cleanliness and upkeep of the toilets and keep it locked when not in use, they are likely to be well maintained. This will ease the maintenance burden on the ULB’s. This is a very well strategized solution that has been initiated in the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Shelter Associates has collaborated with HT Parekh Foundation and Kolhapur Municipal Corporation for the Urban WASH project in 8 slum settlements of Kolhapur. These settlements house over 1200 families, out of which over 680 families use 19 Community Toilets. Shelter Associates have therefore initiated facilitation of household toilets wherever possible followed by advocacy with the ULB to repair/refurbish toilet seats where necessary, installation of hand wash stations and the CTB Seat Distribution in all these project slums as part of providing holistic sanitation solutions in the slums.

In one of the project slum settlements of Phulewadi in Kolhapur where the model is adopted, there are a total of 4 Community Toilet Blocks. After SA’s intervention in the slum through the household toilet facilitation, only 31 families comprising 132 individuals now use the CTB. With the reduced CTB seat to person ratio, it was decided to distribute the seats among families who were still dependent on the CTB. The Male and Female CTB toilet seats have been  distributed to families of that settlement after a series of consultation with the community.  Through this initiative, only the allocated families can use the toilet seat as they will be provided locks and keys for the same. They have also undertaken the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep of their allocated toilet.

This model illustrates a win-win situation for all the stakeholders since it allows equal distribution of sanitation facilities to the communities while also lowering the maintenance burden on the Government bodies. This model has the potential to be scaled across 24 informal settlements of Kolhapur where the toilet seat to family ratio has reduced drastically. Scaling the project further, wherever possible, individual household toilets can be facilitated to create additional scope for allocating CTB seats to households who are unable to get a home toilet constructed.

This is a step in the direction of safe community sanitation. In this model there is a move to shift responsibility of maintenance from the ULB to the community by converting the status of the CTB from public to semi private toilets.

As part of the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, the Government of India conducts ‘Swachh Sarvekshan’ which is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India. Through interactions with States and ULBs, every city felicitates individuals and organizations who have played an active role in creating cleaner cities.

Swachh Survekshan 2021

Recognizing the contribution of Shelter Associates towards facilitating safe sanitation in the urban slum settlements, creating awareness & relief campaigns during COVID19 and impacting the lives of many through various WASH projects, GIS experts and Community Workers from the organization were honored during a felicitation ceremony organized by Pune Municipal Corporation on 9^th February 2021.

Felicitating team Shelter Associates

The dignitaries present at the ceremony were Madhav Jagtap (Head of Solid Waste Department and Deputy Commissioner, PMC), Kunal Khemnar (Additional Deputy Commissioner, PMC), Asha Raut (Ghole Road Regional Officer and Assistant Commissioner, PMC), Avanti Kadam (Head CSR, Cummins Corporation) among others.

PMC Dignitaries, Corporate CSR representatives and team Shelter Associates

GIS experts Pradeep Waje and Tanaji Raut and Community Workers Dilip Kamble, Birudev Changire, Sanjay More, Sunita Gurav, Soni Chavan and Subodhini Dhavare were honored with certificates and bouquets by the dignitaries.

www.shelter-associates.org

By Smita Kale

Lokmanya Nagar

Shelter Associates (SA), a Civil Society Organization founded in 1993, comprising architects, GIS experts, social workers, community workers and volunteers have carried extensive work in areas of cost-effective housing, basic infrastructural facilities, health, hygiene and sanitation while inspiring behavioural change in the slum dwellers. We work towards empowering communities living in informal settlements to pursue their right to dignity and sustainable life.

In this article, we talk about our approach of moving from Paper based field data collection to Kobo Toolbox, and then finally to Avni. We share some lessons learnt and explain the advantages we see of an offline-based Android app for form data capture.

Data-Driven Approach

One of the organisation’s core competencies lies in its data-driven approach. We follow a rigorous process of collecting data through surveys and mapping efforts. The slum data collected by the team is spatially organised using GIS software and presented as an overlay on Google Earth remote sensing imagery. The collated data is used for inclusive urban planning and implementing affordable housing and sanitation schemes across the slums in Maharashtra. You can see live dashboards on our website. Our data-driven approach using technology to plan citywide strategies for social housing has impacted the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) policy of GOI.

Screenshot of a live dashboard from SA website

In 2013 we undertook a landmark project ‘One Home One Toilet’ to deliver household toilets on a cost-sharing basis. The data-driven initiative follows a community-centric and an inclusive approach wherein it works closely with the municipal corporations right from validating data to toilet delivery. As of September 2020, SA has surveyed around 2,93,000 households for successful implementation of OHOT. It has impacted over 3,70,000 people directly & indirectly with a home toilet.

From Paper-based system to a digital system using KoboToolbox

In the early years of implementing various schemes, be it affordable housing or delivery of sanitation, data was collected through pen-paper surveys. Over the years we have shifted to other, more technological driven means of data collection. In 2016, we shifted our collection system to the Android-based open-source platform of KoBoToolbox. Kobo is one of the most popular data collection tools in development sector. It provides an offline mobile app for data collection, a web app for designing forms and an option to extract collected data for further analysis.

Moving to Kobo certainly was a good step forward but we soon started facing limitations with it.

Limitations with KoboToolbox

1. Lack of ability to view and update records from the mobile app

KoboCollect does not support offline editing of records once submitted. It requires internet and is too complex as described in this link. Lack of any alternative for modifications forced us to survey the households repeatedly where data needed to be updated. With the increasing scale of interventions in different slums across cities, this was not a viable solution for long.

2. Form-based data model as against Case-based

If we have to submit 50 responses for a slum, same slum name is to be entered 50 times. This slows down the work. Moreover, there was no way to validate to ensure the name entered is correct. Ideally, we would want a way to be able to pick from an available list or a dropdown. There are workarounds but no native case management support in KoboToolbox.

3. RedEployment required to change form design

We could not add a question to the existing form and if we do, we have to redeploy it and redeployment means losing existing data.

From Kobo Toolbox to Avni

While exploring solutions for these problems we came across the Avni application in a workshop organised by Tech4Dev platform in Pune. This open-source platform, with a rich data modelling approach, an offline app for data recording, web app for admin & form designing and different options to extract data, promised to solve the problems we were facing.

Initially, we started with the city of Kolhapur as a pilot. We first migrated our data from Kobo to Avni which turned out to be simple. Kobo provides a way to export data in excel and Avni provides a way to upload/import using CSV files. After importing the existing data, we soon initiated the data collection using Avni. To carry out the modifications accurately we trained our surveyors to use the application, fill in different types of forms and update any filled in data as per the required changes. The users found it easy and the pilot worked out really well. Thus we decided to adopt Avni for all our work and started using it for the Pune region as well.

SA surveyors using android technology for data collection

Benefits of moving to Avni from Kobo Collect

Below are the key differences and benefits we are noticing of using Avni over Kobo. We are listing these down for the benefit of those considering both these options for field work.

1. Ability to design a custom app using locations, subject, programs and forms from Avni data model

The most important difference between the two softwares is that Avni provided us with the ability to create app as per our data model and data collection process. We created our location hierarchy of City, Ward and Slums using locations; households are created as subjects and separate forms for different vertical services like property tax, solid waste management, metered water connection, etc.

SA Avni app data model

This provided us with 2 benefits

a. Avoid repetitive data collection

We register the household once and whenever a new service is provided, we record a new form by choosing an already registered household. This was not possible in Kobo and saves time and is very convenient to get real-time data.

b. Well modelled and segregated data enabling easy access to a subset of the entire data of a particular house

In the near future, household-level data collected can be shared and accessed with various departments of the Municipal Corporation to ensure work is carried out effectively. Data for sanitation, property tax, solid waste management, metered water connection, etc. once shared to the Municipal Corporation can be accessed for service delivery. For example, once a particular service like a metered water connection is provided to a household, the filled-in data can be retrieved and updated from a shared water connection to a metered water connection. As we collect and share data on different sectors, we can disintegrate it as per requirement and send it across various departments of the Municipal Corporation to link and use the collected data simultaneously. Once services are delivered the household data will be updated by our surveyors or the Municipal Corporation (if shared/access provided) and used further for monitoring tax collection, solid waste management, etc.

2. Ability to search, view and update records anytime in the mobile app

As described earlier, in Kobo Collect once the data is submitted it is not possible to view and edit them. In Avni, the records always stay in the device even after submitting to the server. They can be modified and synchronized again with the server. This is really helpful in the field!

Screenshots from SA Avni App

According to UNICEF, 2 billion people across the world still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines. Of these, 673 million defecate in the open. Open defecation is a problem because it allows for high-potential of bacteria being transferred through feces leading to large-scale health problems. Moreover, open defecation also inflicts safety concerns on women, causes distress to the elderly and disabled and poses environmental risks.*

Despite several parts of India being declared as open defecation free, hygienic sanitation continues to be a problem in the country.  A study conducted in 2018 showed that residents of between 30-70% of urban slums in India in fact did not have access to safe and convenient toilets**

Recognizing the problems posed by open defecation as well as community toilets that have their own set of disadvantages; Shelter Associates (SA), a Pune based NGO providing safe sanitation and affordable housing to the urban poor focuses on facilitating individual household toilets through its data driven, replicable, scalable and multi-stakeholder inclusive ‘One Home One Toilet’ (OHOT) model.

The Local Project Challenge, a collaboration between academic and social organizations, has honored Shelter Associate’s ‘One Home One Toilet’ initiative with the LPC Honour Award 2020 at the U.N.-Habitat World Urban Forum 10 in Abu Dhabi.

The World Urban Forum, organized by UN-Habitat, “is the foremost international gathering for exchanging views and experiences on sustainable urbanization. The inclusive nature of the Forum, combined with high-level participation, makes it a unique United Nations conference and the premier international gathering on urban issues”.

The project was presented for the Civil Society category, announced as part of the “Accelerating the SDGs through the Local Project Challenge” seminar. The Local Project Challenge is a partnership between the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at The Earth Institute, Columbia University and the Faculty of Architecture, Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, and builds on the Global Studio and People Building Better Cities programs.

Coming straight from the director of the Local Project Challenge, Dr. Anna Rubbo says “Congratulations on your Local Project Challenge Honor Award. We hope the award helps support your excellent work”

An international panel of judges reviewed the 110 organisations under the categories of Civil Society, Education and Professional and honored Shelter Associates under the Civil Society category. The list of awardees can be viewed here: https://localprojectchallenge.org/awards/

The “One Home One Toilet” project fits in perfectly with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 – “Ensure access to water and sanitation for all”. OHOT facilitates toilets that are not only well-designed but have also proven to be long-term solutions to the problem of open defecation, thus actively contributing to SDG Goal6.

 The Local Project Challenge featuring ‘One Home One Toilet’ model is available here:
https://localprojectchallenge.org/one-home-one-toilet-tacking-defecation-with-data/

References:

* https://data.unicef.org/topic/water-and-sanitation/sanitation/
** https://www.fsg.org/publications-and-tools