Hygiene Promotion - IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre

covering a number of distinct settlements. In the latter case, there are often twoorganisational layers:• The organisation at the neighborhood or village level organises the participatoryplanning, implementation and monitoring;• The organisation at the overall community level manages the overall programme,dealing with such aspects as aggregation or co-ordination of lower level plans,contracting and procurement, financial management, and accounting for their work tothe contributing male and female heads of households.RepresentationCommunity organisations that manage local hygiene promotion must represent thedifferent interest groups and capabilities in their neighbourhood, village or largersettlement. Typically, members are women and men from the different socio-economic,ethnic and religious sections with a good range in ages and skills. The groups to whichthey belong choose them for their commitment, trust, time, relevant expertise, traditionaland modern, in health and hygiene.Should organisations for locally managed improvements include political leaders andgovernment functionaries? The latter can be of great help but can also dominate decisionsand monopolise benefits. The solution depends on local conditions. They may berespected and represent the interests of all. Otherwise, some kind of checks and balanceis needed. Political leaders and functionaries have also sometimes become ex-officiomembers, or the organisation that manages the hygiene improvements is a sub-committeewith its own status and authority under a local government body.4.4 Useful materials, methods and toolsWorking with materialsMaterials and equipment for hygiene promotion cost a lot of money. Contrary to what isoften thought, good programmes do not necessarily need to spend most of their budgetson the development and production of materials. They decide what they want to achieveand how, and then decide which techniques, tools and training are needed, which of themare already available and which gaps need to be filled. Often, there is already quite a bit ofhygiene promotion material available with a range of programmes and agencies, but muchof it may be sitting in offices.Hygiene promoters do need promotion materials, for their work and to give them anelement of status with those they are motivating. Knowing how to work creatively withhygiene promotion and education materials and having access to materials and tools thatare flexible and adaptive is more valuable than having a set of standard booklets andposters. Many hygiene promoters who work with local groups also have technical skills thatinclude:• the ability to use locally available natural or low cost materials for producingimplements and products for better personal and domestic hygiene such as, in rural24 Hygiene promotion