Plan Pakistan with the help of a local partner, Integrated Regional Support Programme (IRSP), and supported by UNICEF is working to change the state of sanitation in Pakistan. CLTS is used to trigger communities but in order to sustain demand, Plan’s local partners remain in contact the communities through community resource persons. Three resource persons conduct follow on hygiene sessions. Additionally, the electronic and print media are utilized in order to ensure communities do not slip back to open defecation and keep on climbing up on sanitation ladder.
Case study from Mardan, NWFP, of a 22 year old woman from a very conservative Pathan background, who initially worked as a volunteer hygiene promoter for Integrated Rural Support Programme (IRSP), trained in CLTS, PRA and other approaches and then felt empowered to mobilise awareness around sanitation and hygiene in her communities.
As part of the efforts to improve the sanitation and hygiene situation of internally displaced persons in the camps of Jalozai and Kacha Garhi, UNICEF Peshawar and the Integrated Regional Support Program (IRSP) from Mardan, NWFP, carried out seven CLTS trainings for fourty people each in the camps. One of the objectives of this work is to identify potential natural leaders and support them to become CLTS barefoot consultants and facilitators to bring about positive hygiene behaviour changes and improve the health situation of the internally displaced persons in the camps.
Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was first introduced in Pakistan at a national level workshop held in Bhurban in 2004 when the approach was discussed and experience from other countries in Asia was shared. Dr. Kamal Kar presented the approach in the workshop and literature on CLTS was distributed to the interested people.
