SAMUHA PLAN addresses habitat issues at both the individual household level and the community level. programme interventions emphasise a healthy environment for children and the community. Home improvements focus on ventilation, soak pits, improved cooking facilities, wall and roof repairs, and stone flooring for mud-walled thatched huts. At the community level, the availability of potable drinking water and waste water management is stressed.

Highlights 2002

Ramnal Special Project :

Ramnal, a project village in Deodurg taluk, comprises around 176 families. It received a special grant from Mr.Mullen, a sponsor from the German National Office of PLAN International. Through the grant, the project

conducted home improvement and restructuring activities in 53 houses. While 21 houses were given a cement-concrete plastering on the outer walls, 27 houses were floored with Shahbad stone slabs. Five very poor families were provided with new houses.

Work Camps :

Local communities participated in work camps during the year to clean drains, stagnant water pockets, borewell surroundings, community wells, mini water tanks and other potable water sources.

In Kodadhal village, the children's play space was secured by fixing a concrete drainpipe to prevent rain water and sewage flowing on to the play ground.

Battling Water Shortage :

Community clothes-washing facilities were constructed in Adavibhavi and Teggihal. In Teggihal, the mini water tank was repaired and a cattle trough was dug near it to make drinking water available to cattle.

KEY LEARNINGS:

The smokeless chula ensures that cooking is no longer a health hazard.

A stone slab floor in a house whose floors have not been raised prevents rain water from seeping in. It prevents people from falling ill because they sleep on the ground in damp sheets.

A small investment in plastering a mud mortar wall prevents rain from eroding it, lengthens the life of the house and prevents the family from sliding further into poverty because of their inability to invest in a new house.

While village hygiene is still an issue, soak pits ensure that these houses are not adding to the dirt on village roads.

IN THE PIPELINE...

... concentration on village community water and sanitation

... linking with Gram Panchayats for interventions.

... identifying and training community volunteers for major borewell repairs and women in thrift SHG's for minor repairs.

Hanumappa and Yallamma live in Ramnal with their six children. Yallamma reminisces: "We did not have a proper house, let alone electricity even 6 months ago. We were scared to light a kerosene lamp for fear of burning the thatch down. Now we have a proper house and electricity... life has changed.”

Yallamma talks about how the children had to be carried to their grandmother Manasiyamma's house in the middle of the night when it started pouring. "It did not leak as much there," she recounts. Manasiyamma’s house has no electricity but the floor was newly constructed with Shahbadi stones.

“Earlier we would have to spend our savings on repairing the house in preparation for the monsoons. This year, we could buy seeds with the money we saved," says Hanumappa.