YUM's challenge to raise awareness about the health and environmental benefits of latrines continues in Central Kalimantan communities, as many families still pursue the practice of 'open defecation'.
Implemented in August 2008 using a technique called Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), YUM's Community-Led Total Sanitation Project (CLTS) aims to build self-awareness and social pressure to live in a more sanitary environment and eradicate open-defecation.
"Before I had a toilet, I had to walk about a hundred yards to the nearest ditch. Now, I feel more comfortable because I have my own toilet and that I know, from the sessons given by YUM, that my famiy's and my own health is a lot more controlled."
Dakri (community member of the Habaring Hurung village)
Positive changes in behavior and habit have been seen among households, with three villages building their own latrines as part of the first CLTS phase.
However, despite positive responses from some community members, a lot more work remains ahead of YUM's CLTS team as many families are yet to understand that open-defecation can contribute to subsequent health problems.
"No need latrine! I don't have a latrine because my house close to the ditch. It's easier to defecate in the ditch!"
Sarginem (community member of the Habaring Hurung village)
With the support of a team of volunteers and community members who have formed an Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign, YUM remains committed to helping educate and encourage behavioural change for the long-term benefit of these communities.
In various parts of Indonesia which are undeveloped, an open-defecation free community is virtually unheard of. A similar situation can be seen in Central Kalimantan, where YUM has created a "Community-Led Total Sanitation, or CLTS" which has given Kalimantan their first open-defecation free community of the Habaring Hurung village. This village is located in the Palangkaraya District Jurisdiction.
Central Kalimantan is an attraction for many overseas companies and organizations since it is laden with natural resources, but due to the poverty-ridden community, many parts are under-developed. YUM, in accordance with BMZ or the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, has been able to fulfill the CLTS program. "BMZ is a federal ministry of the German government that has provided $198 million for Indonesia in 2008-2009"This program helps educate the community on proper sanitation methods, and the importance of a defecation-free community. Additionally, the CLTS program will help reduce diarrhea, and other diseases that are caused through open-defecation.
The initiation of the YUM CLTS program started with a new law related to health regulations in 2008. YUM started training for CLTS in August of 2008, and finallly, after three years, the Habaring Hurung Village announced officially that they have become a "healthy latrine aware village", or "desa sadar WC sehat" on March 28, 2011.
In past years, health programs similar to CLTS have been focused on the supplies a community might need, while the CLTS program focuses more on social change, and the needs of the community which are sustainable. Additionally, YUM has taken into consideration the cultural differences that they face with the community and have modified the CLTS program to fit those needs. If this project is further expanded, YUM believes a mid-point must be faced between YUM and government structures to ensure a working model for success.
The CLTS program came as an extreme challenge for YUM due to various outside factors such as irregular monsoons, floods which caused limited access to the village, or areas outside the village, and finally, the flooding temporarily dislodged YUM's CLTS latrine construction which also made it harder to initiate social change in the village.
Finally, around three hundred people attended the opening ceremony at Habaring Hurung for the YUM CLTS program, and included people from the local government, religious leaders in the community, and even the "associate city mayor". Due to YUM's success with this project, Habaring Hurung Village now has a population of 121 people, 8 schools, and whopping 89 latrines.
