Tanzania is implementing a National Sanitation Campaign through the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC). The campaign uses different channels and methodologies such as DCC/ground activations, radio, television and digital media to spread the core message to the target audience. The campaign’s core message is ‘Don’t take it lightly, a house is not complete without a toilet’. In other words, the campaign communicated that “The heart of the house is the toilet and in order to live a completely modern life you need to improve your toilet now. (and by implication, a toilet is not completely improved without a handwashing facility).”.
The campaign is ongoing, visiting one region after another in vast Tanzania. However, it is wise o stop by and sees if the campaign and the methodology used works? if yes…is there any evidence to support that? if nowhere can we improve in order to reach the objectives set? A few days ago the Nyumba Ni Choo Team closed activation campaign in Geita Region. Many things happened in Geita while the team is there. One of the memorable moment was the presence of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania Hon Dr John Joseph Magufuli who was visiting his home region.
While there, the president received the state visit from the neighbouring president of the Republic of Kenya Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta. imagine that, two presidents and our team had the privilege to perform and showcase our activities.
Le’s not be carried away, the aim of the article is to investigate if the campaign works or not. So after the campaign, the team left to Mwanza where the campaign goes on. We visited a few families to investigate if what the team had preached listened? or the seeds fell on the rocks? Are we to expect a good yield of behaviour change? or we have to come back and try to saw our hygiene seeds on better soil?
To our surprise, the changes are there. Here are the pictures from one of the families. He is about to finish the modern toilet as explained by the team and committed by the regional commissioner that by 30th September 2019 all households should have modern toilets.
The other family that shocked us was in Bukombe District. See the timeline below;
On 29th May 2019 this was his toilet.
On 18th June 2019 (after the Nyumba ni Choo Campaign) this is what we have.
We will leave you to be the judge o this. Do you think the campaign works? please leave the comments below.