Nepal Campaigns for More Toilets

The United Nations recently praised Nepal for building more toilets.

In 1980, only 3 percent of the population had toilets, but over the past year that number has risen by nearly 20 percent.

Since 2011, Nepal has been vigorously campaigning to stop people from going to the toilet outside.

60-year-old Hirabadhur Sunar lives in Sikharpur Village, a hundred kilometres away from the capital, Kathmandu.

He’s being forced to build a toilet.... following threats from the local village secretary.

“They said that if I don’t build the toilet, I would be arrested. They don’t care whether we can afford it or not.”

Hirabadhur lives in a mud house with his wife Kalika.

“Two months ago, there was a meeting in our village. The village secretary told us that it’s a must for every family to build a toilet. My sons live in another town and they don’t care about us. It’s difficult for us to make the toilet as we don’t have any money.”

There are 600 families in the village, but less than one-third have their own toilets at home.  And then the police came.

“They asked me ‘why don’t you have a toilet?’ I told them about our problem and said that we were trying to build one. But they said, if we don’t make it soon, they will arrest us and take us into custody.”

Nepal is committed to making the country open defecation free by 2017.

And it began with a nation-wide toilet campaign two years ago.

There are now over 600 villages which have been declared open defecation free.

This month, it’s the turn of Sikhapur Village...

And local officials are taking it very seriously.

Homnath Dahal is from the Village Development Committee Office.

“We say to them that if you don’t make a toilet, we will stop granting permission to sell land or give references for citizenship and passports. We asked the police to help with the campaign. After the police visits, more than 100 toilets were built.”

Because of the fear of arrest, some villages are forced to borrow money to build a toilet.

“I borrowed more than 200 US dollars from my neighbours. I have to sell some of my land to pay back the debt. There’s no other way.”

At Sitaladevi School, the teacher asks the students how many of them have a toilet at home. All of them raise their hands.

Health teacher Ramesh Chapaigi says the school wants to help the government’s toilet campaign.

“During school assembly, we make a separate line for those who have a toilet at home. We congratulate them by clapping, and this has inspired other kids. The rest of the students then ask their parents to build one too.”

And the school is prepared to go one step further...

“In the final exam, students will be given the best marks if they have a toilet at home and they’re using it. But they will only get average mark in health subject if they have toilet at home but don’t use it. And for students who don’t have a toilet, they won’t get any marks.”

With help from local NGOs, poor families are building their toilets, says Sushil Gautam from Sewak Nepal.

“Recently one village is declared as free from open defecation. There were 15 very poor families who couldn’t afford to build toilets. Some of them are single women, or from disadvantaged group or disabled people. We gave them 60 US dollars to start with. They might have to spend more than 125 US dollars to build one, but at least they’re motivated with the incentive.”

Some NGOs are also giving out sacks of cement, plastic pipes and toilet pans to other villages.

But 50-year-old Madan Tamang is still waiting for help.

“I have no money to feed my family, how can I make a toilet? My wife is sick and was recently admitted to hospital. I’ve spent all my money on her. I don’t have any money left.”

In another village, people are dancing and chanting as their village is declared open defecation free.

But there are still thousands more to go...