Amrit Rabha from Kadamguri village, Udalguri, Assam shared “Earlier the practice of open defecation was highly prevalent in our village. People were dependent on the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and therefore, did not take any self initiative against this harmful practice. But the SALT process motivated the villagers to an extent that they themselves constructed toilets in their household. Today we feel proud that our village is clean and hygienic, as the result our children are protected from so many diseases.”
VHAI in collaboration with Constellation is implementing an innovative approach for community mobilisation, termed as the SALT approach (Support, Appreciate, Learn, Transfer) for empowering the community to consolidate their ownership for their health challenges. Once this sense of ownership gets embedded as a practice at individual and community level, the action they take will not be dependent on external stimulus. This sense of ownership is the foundation of sustainability. The project is being implemented in 20 villages of District Kamrup, Rural & District Udalguri in Assam.