World Toilet Day guest post by Sangeetha Nair

A successful toilet campaign does not end by just constructing toilets and creating awareness about it, but it should also have regular follow-up visits to the households to ensure that toilets are being used and are in functional condition.

Let us try changing our approach from Big to Small. Why don’t we take a small rural district in India, provide each and every household with toilets; also construct public toilets so that even visitors have access to toilets? Let’s do an awareness campaign and ensure that every household in the district is reached and that they are aware of the social and economic impact due to open defecation.

Do daily follow-ups to each household in the district and speak to them to find out whether everyone in their family is practicing it. Gradually reduce the follow-up visits from daily to weekly until it becomes a part of their lifestyle.

Sanitation programmes follow an “all or nothing” logic. Hygienic sanitation practices should be followed by every member in the society, for if not, the efforts put by others will also be in vain.

Create one success story and then take it to other districts