ORDA progressively makes the environment hospitable to live

By Esubalew Dires (Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. 13 June 2015)

                                                      Defecation Free5

Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) in collaboration with Bahir Dar Zuria Woreda health office funded by Plan International Ethiopia Amhara Unit Program implemented a project to create a healthy & conducive environment through delivering safe water supply hygiene and sanitation (WASH) & food and nutrition security (FNS) in 10 selected kebeles of the district according to the project coordinator Ato Yosef Reggasa.

                                                Defecation Free3

One of those 32 kebeles in the district, Feres Woga contains 1045 households (236 FHH) and has a population of nearly 6 thousand. During the field visit, Feres Woga is different from others in that each household has constructed about 1405 toilets and 15 more communal latrines.
Attitudinal changes of residents make the environment clean and healthy. Hence, they are rewarded a certificate and green flag.

During the field visit, farmer Misikir Muche and his wife w/ro Tadfalech Workneh stated their families and residents didn’t use latrines. In this case, they were exposed to contagious diseases. However, they witnessed that ORDA and Plan International helped people of Feres Woga kebele to be free of open defection. Their environment is looking clean & green since residents are now using private & communal latrines.

                                               Defecation Free4

Farmer Nurelegn Fentie a resident at Feres woga kebele Andinet claimed villagers request for a clean water stayed four years. After the intervention of ORDA and Plan, shallow well is being constructed and people are ready to use it. During the field visit, participants confirmed that they fenced the scheme and planted seedlings for its sustainability.

Ato Misganaw Asnakew, head of Plan International Ethiopia Amhara Unit Program, in his concluding remark said ORDA and Plan International achieved targets to have a healthy society and productive citizen in Bahir Dar Zuria working kebeles. He reminded stakeholders to play their part to scale up this fruitful community-led total sanitation program (CLTS) in order to create a clean and hospitable environment.

In the visit and inauguration program heads and officers who withdrew from ORDA, Plan International, Bahir Dar Zuria health, education, culture and tourism, police and agriculture offices and farmers were actively engaged.

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