Welcome

This step-by-step guide can help you help communities improve their environments and manage their water and sanitation facilities, particularly for prevention of diarrhoeal disease. You won't need to do a lot of additional background reading, but you will need training in either the PHAST¹ or SARAR² methodology upon which this guide is based. You will also need some technical knowledge about diarrhoeal disease transmission to share with community members and to guide discussion.

¹ A joint programme of WHO and the UNDP/World Bank Water and Sanitation Program. It began with a pilot study in four African countries in 1993 to test the use of participatory methods for promoting hygiene behaviours, sanitation improvements and community management of water and sanitation facilities. Since 1994 PHAST has been an official Ministry of Health programme in Zimbabwe and incorporated into sanitation programmes in Uganda and Kenya. For more details see: Simpson-Hrt, Sawyer & Clarke (1996).

² SARAR stands for Self-esteem, Associative strengths, Resourcefulness, Action-planning, and Responsibility. It was developed during the 1970s and 1980s by Lyra Srinivason and colleagues for a variety of development purposes. See Srinivason, 1990.

The participatory techniques used in the PHAST initiative have proved to be very successful and rewarding for communities and for facilitators. So much so, that community workers who took part in the initial pilot study to test the use of participatory techniques for improving hygiene behaviours did not want to go back to their previous methods. They wanted to continue with the participatory approach because results were much better and the process was more enjoyable. But don't simply take our word for it. Invest time in learning about participatory techniques and how to use them. Enquire about training opportunities or ask to take part in ongoing projects that use a participatory approach.

We would very much like to hear about your experience of using this guide. We have therefore included an evaluation form and would be very grateful if you would complete it and return it to us. Your comments will help us to improve the next edition of the guide.

Good luck!