Embark on an obstacle course to help the population of landlocked areas
This report describes in images the challenges faced by actors working in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene, including UNICEF, in order to accelerate the fight against open defecation in the region of Analanjirofo.
Before the descent to Analabe village, a training of facilitators was held in Vavatenina in order to strengthen their capacities for carrying out their mission.
Barely having travelled a few kilometres, the UNICEF car is stuck in a puddle of mud due to the poor state of the road.
Troubleshooting is done under the watchful eye of the children of a village on the road. Finally, the car had to return to Vavatenina and let the team continue on foot. The appointment is given at the same place the next day to return to the town.
Eulalie, UNV WASH Officer at UNICEF and the facilitators had to walk the rest of the way, through craggy pathways.
It takes them six hours to walk the 30km that separate the starting point to Analabe village. During break times, they also take the opportunity to have short exchanges with inhabitants of the villages on the road.
After a few hours, they finally meet the first villagers of Analabe who are brushing their teeth in the river.
Once arrived in the village of Analabe, Justin – WASH technician, takes the lead in carrying out awareness-raising activities with the community.
Villagers filling in the attendance sheet which will serve as a monitoring tool for technicians. Each household is expected to build a latrine for its own use.
Jean Paul, 65, washing his hands with water and using a homemade device. He is one of the first to have built his latrine, after being convinced of the importance of his well-being.
In the absence of soap, the ash is used as an antiseptic – a simple solution adapted to the local context.
Since June 2021, the village of Analabe has been declared "open-defecation-free" thanks to the efforts of UNICEF, all its partners and especially the community.
