The village Mujahid Muhalla is located in the Taluka Gambat, District Khairpur. The overall households in the village are 90 including 105 males, 111 females, and 273 children respectively. Due to the lack of resources, the people were suffering from an inadequate sanitation system which makes the community of the village more vulnerable to health risks.
The Water and Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) program of HANDS came about in response to the need for interventions to address a serious open defecation issue, which had existed among the community of the village for several decades. By following the CLTS approach HANDS team formed Village Wash Committee (VW
C) and the Community Resource Person (CRP) has also been selected in the Mujahid Muhalla. During interventions of the project, CRP conducted awareness sessions supported by VWC members in which they comprehensively described the exposure of diseases due to open defecation.
Zulaikha, the residents of the Mujahid Muhalla is one of the villagers who suffered from poverty eradication and lack of awareness about health and hygiene. Before attending awareness sessions conducted by the HANDS team, Ms. Zulaikha and her family were practicing open defecations without knowing the consequences and its health risks.

“I’ve eight males and females in my family. We all used to defecate openly before attending awareness sessions on health and hygiene by the HANDS team. During sessions, I’ve learned about the contribution of open defecation to diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera and realized the importance of latrine usage.” Zulaikha said while sharing her success story with the HANDS team.

She further added that “my husband is a daily wager and we couldn’t afford a construction of toilet and after knowing the consequences of open defecation it was a big concern for us to continue this bad and unhygienic habit, however with the financial assistance HANDS around 8,000/- I have been able to build an adequate latrine. Besides that proper training of craftsmen has been arranged to guide them about the conventional latrine at a low cost. HANDS provided all the equipment as well as material assistance to constructs latrine. Moreover, we did not have an appropriate drainage system in our village. HANDS also provided a proper drainage system and conventional septic tanks to dispose of the human excreta safely into the environment. We villagers not only have been benefited from the improved sanitation facilities; but also actively involved in maintaining the sustainability”.
“I am very much thankful to HANDS and UNICEF for bringing us on the right path and make our children’s future healthy and safe”.