IGNITION MOMENT: THE CONCLUDING ASPECT OF COMMUNITY LED TOTAL SANITATION

1. COMMUNITY-LED
TOTAL
SANITATION
THE IGNITION MANUAL

2. IGNITION OVERVIEW
Ignition moment is the critical moment
during triggering when there is a
realization that due to open defecation all
are ingesting each others’ faeces and that
this will continue as long as open
defecation goes on.

3. IGNITION OVERVIEW
Disgust, shock and embarrassment are
written large on the faces of those present.
A sign of ignition is that some
community members start to come
forward and talk about stopping open
defecation and how this could be done.

4. CLTS
“What works best for
triggering CLTS is a
combination of boldness,
empathy, humour and
fun”

5. BOLDNESS

6. BOLDNESS

7. EMPATHY

8. EMPATHY

9. HUMOUR

10. FUN!

11. FUN!

12. Strong feeling among
different sections of
the community act
as drivers to
IGNITION, for
example:-

13. EXPLAIN THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS
The families with
toilets realize
that, due to OD, they
are equally likely to
ingest shit as families
without toilets.

14. HIGHLIGHT THE RISKS INVOLVED
The people without
land are criticized
for using other
people’s land as
toilets.

15. Women and young
girls who are
affected and
inconvenienced
most by the lack of
privacy in OD.

16. Religious leaders
upholding the need
for cleanliness and
clean clothes
during prayer.

17. This agreement is
reached by playing on
shame and disgust as a
people face the
consequences that OD
has on their
community.

18. If some positive
action toward
CLTS begins, then
extend help and
facilitate
carefully.

19. Enthuse the
community by say
informing them that
if they could achieve
100 per cent total
sanitation and stop
open defecation,…

20. …many people from
outside and neighbouring
villages would come and
visit their village to see it.
(use any other motivation
factor based on the
community profile and
their responses)

21. Tell them about the
possibilities of their
becoming famous as the
first open defecation
free village in the
block, sub-district or
district.

23. Help the community to
come up with a village
action plan to achieve
ODF. The process of
planning should
concentrate on
immediate positive action
plans.

24. Encourage early
action-takers to come
and sign up. As they
come, give them a big
clap, and say that
they are leaders for a
clean future.

25. Find out their wellbeing
status, and praise them
especially if they are poor.
Keep them standing in
front of the crowd. Do the
same with any who comes
forward as donors

26. Take a photograph of the
group as those who are
going to transform the
community’s
environment.
Write up the names of the
committee.

27. Ask how long before they
will stop OD totally. If the
answer is more than 2-3
months, ask if 60-90 days
of ingesting each others
shit is acceptable. The
response may be to share
toilets and dig pits to cover
shit almost at once.

28. Tell people about other
actions by nearby
communities and what they
are doing. If the community
is the first in an area, stress
the recognition they will
receive, and the chance of a
special celebration if they
become ODF.

29. Together with the
community agree
when you will come
back for monitoring
of ODF and latrine
construction.

30. Although the process
of completely ending
open defecation will
take some time, it is
necessary to start the
first step toward that
process immediately.

31. Some actions that can be
taken immediately are:
Digging pits to use as
makeshift latrines.

32. Some actions that can be
taken immediately are:
Learning more about
low-cost technology
models.

33. Encourage them to take
lead and share their
ideas with the whole
community about the
consequences of open
defecation and what
best could be done to
avoid them.

34. DO involve children
in the discussion
and ask them what
they will do to stop
open defecation.

35. Often children start
processions shouting
loud slogans against
open defecation.
Encourage these
activities. They find it
great fun.

36. CAUTION
Don’t make any
commitment of benefits

37. CAUTION
DO watch out for the
natural leaders
emerging from the
PRA process.