USAID/SWSS
Inspection of newly constructed latrine with hygiene promotion poster in Itarchi, Faizabad District.
The mountainous district of Faizabad in Badakhshan Province suffers from lack of proper sanitation and hygiene. Poor personal hygiene, open defecation practices, and lack of proper sanitation facilities have challenged the lives of residents. With the support of USAID, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is striving to tackle sanitation-related problems within Afghan communities. Through USAID’s Afghan Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation (SWSS) project, every household in Itrachi Hakimabad village in Faizabad district has now constructed a new latrine or improved an existing one to meet basic sanitation standards. After residents received hygiene training, open defecation has stopped, and now basic hygiene and sanitation behaviors have improved. “The community members constructed latrines because we learned from USAID facilitators what a negative impact poor sanitation had on our daily lives,” said Jalaluddin, a villager of Itarchi Hakimabad. He continued, “Our children were badly affected by diarrhea, but now we are proud of having constructed latrines for every household in order to protect everyone’s health.”
USAID/Afghanistan Program Highlights: 3/1/2011-3/15/2011