Jharana Thapa was nominated Sanitation Brand Ambassador for the End Water Poverty campaign in September 2008. In November she participated in the third South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN III) in New Delhi, India.

Since the conference, Jharana Thapa not only makes speeches on sanitation. When she visits villages to shoot films, she always tries to promote good sanitation practices, asking if there is a clean toilet and whether people wash their hands with soap and water after going to the toilet. She is particularly aware of the problems facing girls. “Due to toilet problem, many girl students do not drink water during school hours,” said Jharana. “Girls feel uncomfortable during periods and the toilet problem might cause a mental problem.” Jharana advises girl students not to feel ashamed and talk to the school management to arrange separate toilets for them.

Related news: Jharana Thapa: nominated as brand ambassador for End Water Poverty campaign in Nepal, Source South Asia, 03 Oct 2008

Web sites:End Water Poverty; SACOSAN

Source: Nepal Samacharpatra / NGO Forum, 18 Feb 2009

Tags: gender, hygiene promotion, information and communication, on-site sanitation, south asia