WASH Educators Training (WET 2015)

Women Special Batch

18 - 27 August 2015

Place: VIKSAT, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Background

Water is essential for the well-being of humankind, vital for economic development, and a basic requirement for the healthy functioning of the entire world's ecosystem. Clean water, together with hygienic sanitation, is necessary to sustain human life and to ensure good health and human dignity. Water and sanitation are closely linked with health, education, food and nutrition, and poverty alleviation.

With the increasing demands on the limited water resources, universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a challenge. Concerted efforts need to be made towards undertaking conscious and collective measures towards proper water resource management. Education is a powerful tool for bringing about the changes required to achieve sustainable development. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) trainings will contribute to deepen understanding of the issues and raising awareness.

There is an urgent need of improving women's role in WASH sector. It is time to support and enhance the capacity of women to develop and lead the implementation of water and sanitation solutions at policy, planning and grassroot level. Towards enhancing women's leadership and their contribution in sustainable WASH outcome, a special batch for women WASH Educators (WET 2015) is being organized by VIKSAT. This programme is catalyzed and supported by National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India.

About WET 2015

VIKSAT announces the next batch of the WASH Educators Training (WET 2015), especially for women, working on issues related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).  The training is directed towards creating and nurturing a cadre of educators for better understanding of water and WASH issues.

Objectives

• To develop a cadre of WASH Educators or professionals in Civil Society Organizations
• To enhance understanding of issues and options pertaining to the WASH sector
• To learn about the innovations, best practices and intervention strategies in the WASH sector
• To strengthen WASH Communication
• To facilitate networking between individuals and organizations working on WASH issues

Training content

The training will lead to better understanding of the issues, options, transfer of technology and dissemination of key information that will enable participants to work in a focused manner. They will specifically learn about:

• The basics about water, water cycle, availability, composition, its ecology and uses
• Safe water, sources of contamination, testing, handling, treatment
• Issues in the WASH sector, stakeholders
• Possible solutions, approaches for addressing the issues
• Conservation methods, technologies
• Community led approaches in managing water and sanitation
• Interrelation between water, sanitation and hygiene
• Effective communication for WASH issues and community science
• Networking skills in WASH science communication: Role of state govt. agencies

Methodology and tools

•  Identify key priority areas in WASH Sector
• Study the best practices adopted by communities in water conservation and protection
•  Identify potential approaches in addressing WASH issues
•  Peer Learning and Case study analysis
• Exposure/site visits
• Presentations, experience sharing by experts
• Participatory group exercises
• Presentations by participants
• Reference material
• Demonstrations, interactive sessions

Who can participate

• Women Staff of NGOs and CBOs working on issues related to water, WASH and NRM
• Development workers, students interested to pursue their professional career in WASH sector
• Academicians and social entrepreneurs interested in WASH sector
• Age limit: All eligible candidates should be within the age group of 18 to 35 years (as on 1st June 2015)
• This programme is open for resident Indian nationals only

Resource persons

VIKSAT has expertise in dealing with issues of water, sanitation and hygiene. In addition to the in-house resource persons, the training will draw upon experts and development professionals with diverse background from the WASH and related sectors. Additionally, there will be representatives from various national and international development agencies and government departments as resource persons.

Those interested should send application in the prescribed form (available from VIKSAT and on www.viksat.org) to the address given below by post or by fax or email.

Deadline for Applications: 20th June 2015

Applications sent by email should bear the subject line “Application for WET 2015”.

The seats are limited. The selection of trainees is subject to acceptance of application and confirmation of participation by VIKSAT.

For more details or clarifications please write to us on:  viksat.wet@gmail.com

or contact Ms. Vandana Pandya at VIKSAT, Ahmedabad.

VIKSAT

VIKSAT was set up in 1977 as an activity of Nehu Foundation for Development (NFD), to take proactive steps to conserve environment. VIKSAT has been working with communities in their local regions, towards developing models of sustainable natural resource management, imparting skills related to institution building, resource generation, management, networking and other support. VIKSAT works in four thrust areas, namely, Forestry & Environment, Land & Water Management, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Institution & Capacity Building. With head office in Ahmedabad, VIKSAT has five field offices in five districts of Gujarat, viz. Bhiloda in Aravalli, Kheroj in Sabarkantha, Satlasana in Mehsana, Kukma in Kachchh and Radhanpur in Patan district.

 Website : www.viksat.org

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