Sabar Shouchagar: an emerging and inspiring district level model for eliminating open defecation in India

“Sabar Shouchagar”, meaning “toilets for all” a thought that was later actualized by the district leadership collectively overcoming challenges such as correct situation analysis, information management, participatory planning to enable implementing a convergent social engineering program for providing access to latrine for all families in the district, within the given financial, technical and human resource constraints of a low priority development programme in India. The experience from two years of implementation informs that by involving and motivating key stakeholders, use of innovative communication approaches for mass mobilization of communities, making them aware of the health hazards of the Open Defecation; developing systems for improving service delivery of sanitary toilets, triggering the collective behavior change for stopping open defecation, have transformed the environment in the district, whereby it has become possible achieving an Open Defecation free district.