Lakes State urges community to promote hygiene, sanitation

RUMBEK – The Ministry of Housing, Land and Public Utilities, in collaboration with the Center for Emergency Development Support (CEDS), has organized celebrations marking the achievement of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in several villages in Rumbek.

David Ayuen Mawel, a WASH engineer and cluster coordinator for Lakes State, said on Thursday the community in War Marual village, Cueicok Payam, was being celebrated for becoming ODF.

“We conducted internal verification with local authorities last month and another with the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) task force last week,” he said. “The task force comprised 12 members from different institutions.”

Mawel said War Marual was one of seven villages declared ODF, with a focus on three counties where CEDS operates.

“We have triggered 35 villages in the three counties, and so far seven have been declared ODF,” he said. “We remain hopeful that the remaining 28 villages will also achieve ODF status.”

Mawel emphasized the importance of community-led efforts in achieving ODF status, calling for a zero-subsidy approach to latrine construction.

“It is our responsibility to ensure our communities have latrines without providing any financial assistance,” he said. “We must educate people about the importance of latrines.”

Mariem Paul Jebi, chairperson of the specialized committee for infrastructure in the Lakes State assembly, praised the community’s efforts in constructing more than 50 pit latrines.

“We are very happy with the community’s approach to hygiene promotion,” she said. “This achievement is a result of the leadership of our governor.”

Barnaba Makuac Magol, state director of WASH in Lakes State, highlighted the challenges faced by some villages due to water scarcity.

“One of the challenges is the lack of water in some villages, which hinders their ability to construct latrines,” he said.

Ding Mayau, a village woman leader, expressed gratitude for the government’s provision of a borehole and urged continued support for education and healthcare services in the community.