The second day of 2015 was an important day for Nepal, and more so for the district of Jajarkot in the mid-western hills of the country. Jajarkot was one of the most affected districts by the diarrhoea and cholera outbreak of July 2009 that had claimed about 400 lives. Almost half of the dead were from Jajarkot, and many of them were children. All 30 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of the district had been impacted. Lack of transportation and ignorance and stigma about the epidemic had exacerbated the situation.
On the 2nd of January 2015, Jajarkot became the 20th district in the country, the 1st in Bheri zone, and 5th in the mid-western region to be declared "open defecation free" (ODF), meaning every household had access to a toilet.
A bit of background
When the epidemic had struck in 2009, only 4 out of every 10 households had a toilet. Jajarkot's leap in terms of sanitation reflected the reaction to the shock the nation had received when, in the 21st century, diarrhoeal epidemics could take so many lives! It was a shock for UNICEF too, which had been celebrating 4 Decades of Partnership in Nepal.
Some of the headlines in the national dailies in July 2009 reflected the shock the country was reeling under.
"Whole family perishes to diarrhoea"
"Health officials flee epidemic-affected villages"
"217 die without receiving a sip of ORS"
"Difficulty in gathering mourners in funerals due to fear of infection"
The cholera outbreak was a wake-up call for the government, for UNICEF, and the people in the most impacted districts. UNICEF played a crucial role then by initiating the movement "Aligning for Action: Making Diarrhoea Epidemics a History" and making a concerted decision to be the convener for broad consensus amongst all governmental and non-governmental actors, rather than pushing for individual projects. The movement that started in Surkhet district of the mid-west region in 2010 to chart a sanitation road-map, snowballed into a social movement that had a strong spillover effect at the national level too, and which resulted in the launch of the National Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan by the President of Nepal in 2011! The Plan aimed for universal sanitation coverage in the country by 2017.
In Jajarkot, people took the sanitation movement on a massive scale. It prepared a district sanitation plan in 2011 and aimed to make the district ODF by 2015. Later, a series of sanitation workshops at the district, ilaka and VDC levels helped to develop common consensus that building toilets was an individual's responsibility. Everyone, government agencies, local and national NGOs, INGOs and UNICEF came together with joints plans and financing for WASH programmes. In four years 21,000 toilets were built, the last 13,000 toilets were built in 120 days, meaning there were 75 toilets being constructed in a single day!
In these intervening years the mid-western region made 180 per cent increment in sanitation coverage, the highest amongst all the five development regions of the country.
Jajarkot and its neighbouring district Rukum, in the mid-western region, were also the only districts amongst the 20 ODF districts where diarrhoeal incidence in under-five children had been decreasing in the last five years -- from 1070 cases to 430 cases – almost 60 per cent decrease!
ODF Celebration on 2nd January 2015
The day was meant to be one with full fanfare, planned at the end of the Jajarkot Fair celebrations. However the weather was a big let-down.
Banners welcomed guests to the celebration of the first district in Bheri Zone (Nepal has 14 zones) to be declared free of open defecation
After rain seemed to be playing a spoilsport in the event, the venue was switched to the top of the hill of the district headquarters. Revellers in small batches, started making their way uphill.
The view from the top...
The celebration site was in front of the 3-storied building which is now houses the District Administrative Office, but was once used to be the palace of the Jajarkot Kings. School children had gathered here to celebrate the crucial role played by them during the ODF movement. But once the rain started pouring, they went home.
Cultural troupes started coming in, each with their own banners. Kaley Damai (with money stuck on his cap) dances in front of banner from Jagatipur VDC that has a slogan that reads "A toilet in every home is a thing of pride, prestige and honour. That is the identity of Jagatipur with hygienic, clean and beautiful homes and yards!"
Another troupe does the peacock dance
...local drummers...
... and their instruments...
Sorathi dancers in one area
... a troupe of elderly men were performing their own slow dance on one side...
... and boys dressed as females from another village danced elsewhere ...
... young girls also put up a celebratory dance as more people and guests gathered...
... The rain seemed to let for a bit...
The official programme begins, seizing the moment...
Guests are garlanded. They included members of Constituent Assembly representing Jajarkot, local government officials...
.. as well as Deputy Representative of UNICEF Nepal, Dr. Rownak Khan
A moment of silence in honour of the souls lost in the 2009 epidemic, and the bus accident a month earlier in which about five dozen people lost their lives.
The first recorded fatality to cholera it seems was 30-year-old Ratna Bahadur Nepali of Rokayagaun. Not knowing what his ailment was he had been treated with local herbs, but he died within a day.
It begins to rain again...
... and umbrellas start sprouting in the courtyard...
... including one to protect the video camera...
Waving the green flag -- part of the ODF declaration
Everyone takes the oath to aim for total sanitation in the district..
... and sign in the banner too...
Media representatives capture it all ...
A line of 30 earthen jars painted blue representing every VDC of the district...
... including this one of Dandagaon which was the first VDC to be declared ODF in Jajarkot
Village WASH Coordination Committee member and teacher from Dandagaon
Mr. Prachanda Oli talks about how they rallied to make a difference for sanitation in their village, starting from the declaration of ward # 6 of the VDC as ODF.
Mr. Prachanda Oli talks about how they rallied to make a difference for sanitation in their village, starting from the declaration of ward # 6 of the VDC as ODF.
Team Leader of Helvetas' Water
Resources Management Programme, Mr Madan Bhatta, while highlighting the role played by his agency in the sanitation movement stressed that ODF movement would help to prevent further loss of human lives as well as financial resources in the future.
Mr. Raj Kumar Kshetri, WASH Manager with the Swiss
Red Cross in Nepalgunj outlined the poor condition in the VDCs when they first started work in the district, and how everything took a turn for the better following the district and
Ilaka level sanitation conferences, and thanked everyone for their efforts on behalf of the Nepal Red Cross and the Swiss Red Cross.
Mr. Rajendra Aryal, Chair of the Federation of
Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Nepal, in Kathmandu, while appreciating the efforts of all that led to the declaration of ODF in Jajarkot, acknowledged the boost the movement got following the UN resolution of 2010 which declared water supply and sanitation as basic human rights.
Mr. Rajendra Aryal, Chair of the Federation of
Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Nepal, in Kathmandu, while appreciating the efforts of all that led to the declaration of ODF in Jajarkot, acknowledged the boost the movement got following the UN resolution of 2010 which declared water supply and sanitation as basic human rights. 
UNICEF's Dr. Rownak Khan said, "ODF is the first step of sanitation ladder. The second step is to achieve “total sanitation” for the district. This means that you not just build a toilet but ensure that you use it too. It means having safe water for drinking, practice hand washing with soap and other local level sanitation and hygiene related aspects. And more importantly we need to ensure that not just homes, but all schools have toilets as well as sufficient water supply..."
Dignitaries under umbrellas...
Mr. Binod Kumar Agrawal, Regional Director
of Regional Monitoring and Supervision Office in Surkhet said, "Before the endorsement of the sanitation and hygiene master plan in 2011 by the government, there were different modalities of implementing WASH programmes in the districts. The government's effort in bringing the master plan helped to bring
all stakeholders together and which also helped to stress the strategy that construction of toilets was the individual's
responsibility. It is because of this that today Jajarkot has been able to declare itself an ODF district."
Chief District Officer Mr. Jagat Bahadur Basnet, stressed that ODF status did not mean total sanitation and that everyone needed to, as per their oath, to the commit to practicing
healthy behavior by washing hands with soap and water, maintaining personal
hygiene, as well as environmental sanitation too.
Constituent Assembly member Ms. Rita Rawal, pointed out how ironical it was that in the 21st Century we are talking about hiding our faeces. "The rain that is pouring here today is also a message from the heavens, that water is an important factor needed to aim for total sanitation..."
Time for piping hot tea in the cold rainy day...
Mr. Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Constituent Assembly member outlined the important role that political parties played in the sanitation movement, and the role that they can play in the future for the district's quest to reach total sanitation.
A respite in the rains...
... and the handover of the official felicitation plaque to the Local Development Officer of Jajarkot by the Regional WASH Coordination Committee 
Then followed the handover of plaques to partners in the sanitation movement, including UNICEF. Here Constituent Assembly member Mr. Rajeev Shah hands over the plaque to Dr. Khan.
Then the "token of love" plaque...
Mr. Rajeev Shah, Constituent Assembly member, said that although Jajarkot is making a lot of improvement, with road connection, and now with toilets in every home, yet a lot still needed to be done. He urged partners like UNICEF, Helvetas and the Red Cross to provide support for the district's quest for total sanitation, including support for water supply projects.
Chief District Officer Mr. Jagat Bahadur Basnet, stressed that ODF status did not mean total sanitation and that everyone needed to, as per their oath, to the commit to practicing
healthy behavior by washing hands with soap and water, maintaining personal
hygiene, as well as environmental sanitation too. Constituent Assembly member Ms. Rita Rawal, pointed out how ironical it was that in the 21st Century we are talking about hiding our faeces. "The rain that is pouring here today is also a message from the heavens, that water is an important factor needed to aim for total sanitation..."Time for piping hot tea in the cold rainy day...Mr. Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Constituent Assembly member outlined the important role that political parties played in the sanitation movement, and the role that they can play in the future for the district's quest to reach total sanitation. A respite in the rains... ... and the handover of the official felicitation plaque to the Local Development Officer of Jajarkot by the Regional WASH Coordination Committee Then followed the handover of plaques to partners in the sanitation movement, including UNICEF. Here Constituent Assembly member Mr. Rajeev Shah hands over the plaque to Dr. Khan.Then the "token of love" plaque... Mr. Rajeev Shah, Constituent Assembly member, said that although Jajarkot is making a lot of improvement, with road connection, and now with toilets in every home, yet a lot still needed to be done. He urged partners like UNICEF, Helvetas and the Red Cross to provide support for the district's quest for total sanitation, including support for water supply projects. 
At the conclusion of the programme the Local Development
Officer and Chair of District WASH CC Mr. Gyan Raj Pandey thanked the
contribution made by all sectors, agencies and individuals that made it
possible for Jajarkot to achieve ODF status and looked forward to similar
teamwork achieve the next step of total sanitation…
Then as the mist swirled in again, girls performed another dance...
... and rain left its wet reminder on badges made for volunteers...
... as people started heading home, a glimmer of blue skies in the distance.. and a hope of a brighter days ahead.. for Jajarkot, and the nation!
