Sanitation in my Neighbourhood

Sanitation in my Neighbourhood draws on the medium of photography to engage children - who, it is thought, are free of ingrained habits and thus able to change their practices much more quickly than adults. Drawing on the natural spirit of competition, the contest involved 72 nursery and primary schools, each of which was provided with a camera. A professional photographer explained to the children how the camera worked, and then asked them to take images showing the sanitation problems and solutions as they saw them - under the theme of 'sanitation in my neighbourhood'.

The participation of children in this effort was central. The children took images themselves, either at school or in their communities, where friends and families could get involved, too. The range of pictures varied, ranging from the negative (highlighting the problems they faced by collecting water at dirty water sources and showing examples of bad hygiene behaviour) to the postive (good hygiene practices, new latrines and safe water points). Some children took a very literal approach to the challenge and took photos of their friends defecating in the open, and, when asked what they were doing, replied "well - that's the problem! everyone's just going everywhere!"

One hundred of the best photos were selected and gathered together for an exhibition which appeared in public libraries. The overall winners in different categories were presented with a prize; the ceremony was broadcast on television in June 2005 during Children's Month. Each school also held its own exhibitions, inviting parents and local authorities to attend to have discussions about the problems that the children see around them and what needs to be done to solve them.

Children, Health, Environment.