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POOR SAFE WATER PRACTICES

There are around 663 million people with no access to safe water. Access to safe water is a basic right for every human being and a public good utilized essentially for keeping an individual healthy per se. Contaminated water is a source of water-borne diseases and ensuring its safety is one of the simplest methods to avoid illness.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

To increase the number of households practicing water purification from 27% to 90% in Barangay Manguiles, Municipality of Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur, by the year 2020.

CUES

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UPDATES EVERY EXPOSURE

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Specific Objective 1

To identify current problems with safe water drinking

Activities

  1. Conducted house-to-house survey on water disinfection practices
  2. Meeting with the community residents and barangay officials
  3. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on proposed solutions
  4. Interview the SI and barangay officials for current problems regarding access of water
  5. Identify and map the main water sources
  6. Conduct coliform water analysis
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Specific Objective 2

To increase the knowledge and practices of water disinfection in Manguiles

Activities

  1. Conduct a general lecture that focuses on the following:
    • Importance of safe water utilization
    • Water borne diseases
    • Various purification methods (SODIS, boiling)
  2. Focus group discussion on why mothers do not practice water purification
  3. Lecture on proper methods of boiling and chlorination
  4. Project: Tubig (SODIS)
Lectures on Safe Drinking Water Practices
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Specific Objective 3

To increase the knowledge and practices of safe water consumption amongst elementary students

Activities

  1. Interview of principal and teachers on problems with safe water
  2. Conduct coliform water analysis
  3. Conduct a PTA and Faculty and Staff session
  4. Formulation of Memorandum of Understanding for the regular clean-up of school tank
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EVALUATION

The graph below shows the progression of the number of households and their water purification practices. Initial data shows that only 27% of the households practice water disinfection while the rest of the households drank straight from the source. Factors that were identified include the lack of knowledge on the importance of water disinfection and the proper ways of practicing it. On top of that, no coliform analysis was done hence the extent of the problem is not known.Add paragraph text here.

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Considering these factors, it was important to identify the sources and test it for coliform. Hence, the initial intervention was the identification of communal sources and the testing for coliform. Lecture series were also held to strenghten the knowledge and awareness of the residents. After this initial intervention, there was a steady decline in the number of households that do not practice any water purification method, with an increase in the number of individuals practicing chlorination. Water analysis of two out of three communal sources failed. The number of households initially at 27% has now increased to 47% .

The goal of this CHP was to increase the number of households practicing water disinfection to 90%. However, it was noted that despite the initial interventions, the number of households increased slowly. Consequently, focus group discussions were held to identify the underlying reasons. The main problem identified was the lack of awareness or encouragement to do so. In a parent-teacher association meeting, parents brought up the issue that since they have work to do and cannot spend so much of time preparing clean safe water, majority of them rely on the school source of water. Considering this, the team decided that it was best to conduct water analysis of the school source and introduce an alternative method of water disinfection. This was how “Project SODIS” came to be.

The school source result came out fail and once the results were released to the general public and evaluation was done, the number of households now practicing water disinfection increased to 82%. This can be attributed to the results of the water anaysis. The water analysis identified as failed could have acted as an encouragement for the community to practice water disinfection instead of relying on the school source. Upon the advise of the sanitary inspector, the school tank had to go regular clean up as one of the ways of reducing the coliform load in the water. However, a memorandum of understanding was not passed due to the pandemic.

Despite all the interventions, the CHP did not reach its general objective. Reasons that can attribute to this is that while water analysis has shown the presence of coliform, the manifestation of its effects in the body is not noted. Tying this and the fact that most of the households come from below the poverty threshold, their main concern is to strive and survive, and as long as they are able to do so, then water disinfection becomes the least of their priorities.