Bolivia

Bolivia

Country statistics Population: 9.5 mio. People without improved water supply: 1,3 mio. Child mortality: 5.7% Source: United Nations Statistics Division Project Start of SODIS promotion: 2001 Diffusion through NGOs, local health promoters, teachers, health staff 300 000 users

Since 2001, we have been working, together with the SODIS Foundation, on the diffusion of the SODIS-method in Bolivia. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America – and at the same time the country with the lowest coverage of basic infrastructure such as electricity, water and wastewater.

After successfully completing pilot projects in the region of Cochabamba, we started to promote the method with small, local organisations. In spite of big differences between cultural (and climatic) settings in the highland and in the lowland, we found ways to sensitize people from these regions for sensitive issues like diarrhea and hygiene. By now, all mayor NGOs working in the water and health sectors have recognized the SODIS method as a valuable complement to their ongoing projects and programmes. Most of them include the SODIS-method in their activities, and the Ministry of Health also supports the promotion of the method.

Through this process, the SODIS-method has overcome some mayor obstacles. Now it is time to take advantage of the enabling environment which has been established. Thousands of families still have not heard of SODIS, and there is a need for information campaigns and large-scale rollout programmes in order to make sure the method is applied correctly by users.

Currently, the SODIS Foundation is collaborating with a network of NGOs who work in the health sector. The Federation of NGOs, called “PROCOSI”, trains families in rural communities and the local health promoters visit them regularly. According to local customs, such an innovation first has to be discussed and analyzed at village level. Afterwards, trainings take place, and the local implementing institutions also train teachers in order to make sure that children obtain safe drinking water at schools.

The project also includes a radio campaign, which informs the families in an entertaining way about the importance of hygiene and safe drinking water. In the form of a “radionovela” (radio series), the SODIS-method reaches households – and foments gossips and interpersonal communication.

Local partner organisation

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