Write a project proposal along with an annotated bibliography on the topic: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Zimbabwe (CLEANZ)

 Section 1
Background of the Program
Diarrheal disease is one of the major killers of children under five years of age. Literature suggests that diarrheal disease also significantly contributes to stagnancy which leads to cognitive deficits, lower academic performance and lower economic productivity (SHINE, 2015). Infection pathways are mainly connected with poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices (Demberere, Muyambo, Mutengu, Ncozana, & Manyeruke, 2014). In rural Zimbabwe, 46% of mothers of children under five dispose children’s stool in an unsanitary way. In addition, there is a very high percentage of people who do not wash their hands regularly (Demberere, Chidziya, Ncozana, & Manyeruke, 2016). In order to control the safe disposal of human faeces which is the main sources of diarrhoeal pathogens, it is essential to have proper health and sanitation facilities (Daniel H., 2016, p. 1). Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is a community-based approach which mobilizes people in order to facilitate a sustainable change in behavior related to open defecation practices including disposal of young children’s faces in an unsanitary way. The goal of this intervention is to educate people about the importance of building and using their self-made latrines in order to eradicate open defecation practices as a joint effort of all residents for common good (Alzua, 2015). Community-LEd totAl sanitatioN in Zimbabwe (CLEANZ) intervention will be implemented in the rural village of Mudzi in East Zimbabwe. CLEANZ is a relatively simple intervention which consists of three parts proposed by the Institute of Development Studies: pretriggering, triggering, and post-triggering (Kar & Chambers, 2008). Evaluation of CLEANZ will be conducted between 1 and 3 months after the intervention. In case all houses own proper hand-washing and sanitation facilities and no open defecation practices can be identified, the village will be marked as open defecation free place.
World Vision Zimbabwe
Since 1973, World Vision Zimbabwe (WVZ) conducts its operations from bordering countries to provide support for refugees and internationally displaced persons during the Liberation Struggle. Following liberation, WVZ begun to collaborate with various charity institution and re-orientated towards implementing long-term development programs. Currently, WVZ is the largest humanitarian organization in Zimbabwe and implements 29 Area Development Programs (WVZ, n.d.). WZI is a part of a larger organization called World Vision International (WVI). WVI is an organization of Christians whose mission is to work with poor and oppressed people and to promote justice, and encourage human transformation. The vision of this organization is to help children, families, and communities overcome poverty and injustice (WVI, 2017). The organization has a board of 24 directors who work on a voluntary basis. Their role is to ensure cohesion and alignment of governance direction across the organization (WVI, 2017). WVZ works to bring much needed personal health services and ensure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable (CDC, 2014). Water, sanitation and hygiene issues (WASH) have been in focus of WVZ’s work for the last 50 years. The organization provides support for grass root WASH projects for individual households and small communities. These WASH programs are only one component of much larger holistic community programs which integrate WASH, health, education, food security, agriculture, etc (WVI, n.d.). CLEANZ is designed as one of WASH grass root projects which WZI implements throughout Zimbabwe. CLEANZ targets underprivileged communities living in extreme poverty which ensures that this project follows the mission of WVI. CLEANZ aims at decreasing disease incidence in selected communities thus ensuring better productivity needed to fight poverty. This program encourages human transformation through behavior change which is the vision of WVI.
Socioeconomic Factors in Zimbabwe
According to World Bank’s reports, the economic situation in Zimbabwe is very poor. Country’s economic recovery is facing significant challenges due to policy and external shocks. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deficit in 2016 reached approx. 10% which left the economy and the banking sector to struggle with devastating cash shortages. Financial straits have also significantly increased the number of people who live in poverty. It is estimated that around 72% of Zimbabweans live in poverty while around 20% live in extreme poverty. Financial crisis collapsed healthcare systems, education and other basic services which were once considered to be good models for the region.
As reports demonstrate, socioeconomic factors in Zimbabwe do not favor behavioral changes related to WASH services. People who live in extreme poverty may not have the necessary means to acquire products such as soap, toilet paper or chloride tablets needed for maintaining hygiene and treating water. The lack of basic sanitary facilities and hygiene materials contributes to a high incidence of diseases related to poor WASH practices. According to reports, in Zimbabwe and in its capital Harare the lack of access to safe water and sanitation has increased the prevalence of waterborne diseases such as diarrheal disease, cholera, and other (UNICEF Zimbabwe, 2016). High incidence of disease and low financial power of residents in rural Zimbabwe can significantly challenge the successfulness of CLEANZ. Firstly, people may feel reluctant to engage in this project due to their inability to continuously acquire necessary WASH materials. Secondly, due to poor education people may not be able to fully understand the importance for eradicating open defecation practices. Lastly, people may return to their old habits as open defecation has long been a part of the living style in rural Zimbabwe.