47^th WASH Forum

Paschim Paaila, an informal youth network, organizes a regular interaction program, ‘WASH Forum’, in every last Friday of English month. Paschim Paaila now have been reached to 47^th series of WASH Forum, with the aim to motivate and address the voices of diversified youth communities and others to provide opportunity for social interaction, knowledge sharing and to analyze critically on different forte of health issues, especially focused on to the environmental health issues, WASH and disasters. On 25 November, 2016, Paschim Paaila, conducted a WASH Forum entitled ‘Equity in School WASH: Overcoming Exclusion and Discrimination in Nepal/South Asia’, with the objective to discuss on current status of school WASH and the problem raised due to inequality in the sector of WASH and to discuss on the roles and responsibilities of youth to advocate and minimize the problem regarding equity in school WASH.

Mr. Siddhi Shrestha, WASH Specialist, UNICEF; and Mr. Homnath Acharya, UNICEF resided as the resource person for the forum. Mr. Shrestha, has been working in the sector of water, sanitation and hygiene for 20 years. This has provided the participants an opportunity to gain more practical and experienced knowledge through the resource person. The forum, highlighted the brief session on differences between equity and equality, importance on school WASH, current WASH situation of Nepal, international goals and targets on school WASH and impact of having ‘No WASH’ in schools. Additionally, Mr. Homnath Acharya further familiarized the existed School WASH polices in Nepal.

Collectively, 30 youths from different institutions, and colleges were the attendees during the event. The forum was well received and quiet interactive as many participant actively engaged in the discussion session. Queries regarding the difference between equity and equality, 3 star approach, School WASH policies were raised during the discussion session. Participant gave their positive feedbacks and concluded forum as informative and effective.