MAMA-86’s Water Day 2006 Action Report
On occasion of the World Water Day 2006 MAMA-86 launched a Sanitation and Hygiene Week in Ukraine on 15th of March. The main theme of the Water Day 2006 was "Water and Culture" under the leadership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
In December 2004 the first Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Forum in Dakar called for a Sanitation and Hygiene Week to be celebrated annually through 15—21 March, strategically placed to lead up to "World Water Day" on 22 March.
On 6 March 2006 the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) signed an agreement on a UNICEF-WASH Partnership to implement the Global WASH campaign ("Water, sanitation and Hygiene for all"), common actions on public awareness raising on Sanitation and Hygiene and global launching in 2007 the Sanitation and Hygiene Week. Already this year the WSSCC and UNICEF have already called the partners from the different countries of the world to conduct the information and educational actions and events on sanitation and hygiene development on local level.
Annually Mama-86 network has conducted broad informational actions in Kyiv, Odessa, Sevastopol, Poltava, Kharkiv, Feodosiya, Nizhyn, Artemivsk and Yaremche. Regional Mama-86’s representatives together with local activists have held hygiene and sanitation lessons at schools, clean-up actions, and dissemination of the information materials prepared for the World Water Day 2006 by MAMA-86.
Kyiv
On 15th of March 2006 at the beginning of Sanitation and Hygiene Week and on the eve of World Water Day devoted to "Water and Culture" topic "MAMA-86" in cooperation with Water Informational Centre has conducted an information event. It included an excursion to Museum of Water and a lection on water and sanitation issues which were attended by 30 participants among which were 19 students and 4 teachers of University of Modern Knowledge, National Agricultural University and M.P. Dragamanov National Pedagogical University.
All participants were given a pack of information materials among which were: "World Water Day 2006 and Sanitation and Hygiene Week", "Be careful, Nitrates!", "Water-related Diseases in Ukraine". During the event such MAMA-86’s publications were distributed: "Drinking Water in Ukraine Campaign", "Implementation of the Technical Solutions of Drinking Water Problems, Carried Out by NGO MAMA-86 in Ukraine 2001-2003", "Water, Sanitation & Hygiene for All", "Ecosan — a New approach to wastewater management in Ukraine", magazine "EKOMAMA" etc.
At the end of the event students and their teachers expressed their readiness to co-operate with MAMA-86, to volunteer and participate in the actions. The most interesting for students were such environmental issues as "Water Pollution" and "Water and Education".
On 13, 15 and 22 of March, 2006 coordinator of Eco-telephone project Elena Zubko has conducted 7 lessons "Healthy way of life — it’s fashionable" for 280 pupils aged 12—17 years (6, 8, 11th classes) and 12 teachers of V. M. Molchanova Lyceum ¹ 38 in Kyiv. At the lessons there were presented different aspects of healthy life-style, particularly such issues as: health food (food additives, BAD), youth physical development, sanitary and hygiene, links between environment and health, prevention of water-related diseases (especially infectious diseases and diseases caused by nitrate contaminated water usage), chemicals in every day life etc. The pernicious habits and their negative effects on teenagers’ health were also discussed. All participants were informed about the celebration of Sanitation and Hygiene Week and World Water Day 2006 "Water and Culture". The children have tested some water and food samples on nitrates. A popular scientific film on water problems: its production, quality and water resources protection was shown. All schoolchildren received the information materials on World Water Day 2006 and MAMA-86 publications.
On March, 22 MAMA-86 Kyiv office representatives took part in World Water Day 2006 celebration in the National Ecological and Naturalistic School Youth Centre "Parostok". More than 30 pupils — young naturalists took part in the meeting. The representatives of MAMA-86 have informed children about Ukrainian traditions related to water, current problems of water and their effects on health, water-related diseases. Children’s attention was focused on nitrates pollution of water, personal hygiene and eco-sanitation. The express testing of drinking water and greenhouse vegetables on nitrate content was held by children. Children's quiz on "Water Resources of Ukraine" theme was held. The winners of the drawing competition on water theme have got MAMA-86 publications.
An excursion to animal and plants of the aquatic world was held for children by hydrobiological groups’ teacher. All participants received information materials prepared by MAMA-86 to World Water Day 2006 and brochure on eco-sanitation.
On March, 23 in the framework of celebration of World Water Day 2006 the representative MAMA-86 Tsvietkova Anna took part in information action conducted by the State scientific and technical library of Ukraine. More than 30 representatives of different Kyiv scientific and educational establishments, Kievvodokanal and library staff participated in this event aimed to assist in innovation technologies development of water industry and environmental protection. The representatives of State Committee for Water Management of Ukraine, State Engineering and Ecological Centre KNUBA, State Institute of Economy and Water Resources Management, Kyiv State University of Building and Architecture and Ukrainian Water Association have informed about Ukrainian water resources, water treatment and new waste water treatment technologies.
Tsvetkova Anna have reported about World Water Forum in Mexico and MAMA-86’s experience on improvement of the citizens' access to safe drinking water and introduction of the ecosan technologies in Ukraine. Participants discussed and exchanged the information and made contacts with experts.
Before World Water Day 800 the ecosan brochures were delivered to 5 MAMA-86 regional branches: Nizhyn, Poltava, Yaremche, Odessa and Sevastopol which are implementing ecosan project.
Poltava
The World Water Day events in Poltava were held during 20.03.06—24.03.06 in Educational complex of Gozhuly village. Total number of participants was 130. In the frame of the holiday open lessons for last forms pupils were conducted. Their topics were: Water as the most important natural oxide, the importance of water, its physical characteristics, natural water cycle, protection of water resources, traveling by Eurasia rivers. Pupils were informed about physical and chemical characteristics of water, the role of water in humans’ live and in national economy, the ways to protect water resources from pollution. The lessons were aimed on development of children’s environmental culture.
On 21st of March 2006 94 pupils of comprehensive schools participated in scientific conference "We have just one Earth". The aim of the conference was to increase and systematize of pupils’ knowledge about sources of pollution and the effects of chemical pollution on environment and water bodies. The teachers and MAMA-86 Poltava trained pupils and delivered the practical knowledge and skills on environment protection with the aim to catalyze their research activity, to form the attitude of responsibility towards nature and to empower children to participate in environment protection.
On 22.03.06 75 pupils of 5—9 classes participated in The Essays Contest. The winners are authors of essays "Planet’s Water" and "Environmental pollution".
On 23.03.06 108 pupils of 3—9 classes took part in The Children’s painting contest "The best Clean water emblem".
On 24.03.06 ð. a small quiz for 22 pupils of 1—2 classes on knowledge of proverbs, poems and riddles about the importance of water resources protection and conservation was held.
Sevastopol
On the eve of the World Water Day MAMA-86-Sevastopol conducted the clean-up action of Chornaya river’s water protection zones. About 300 Crimea inhabitants and pupils of Sevastopopol secondary schools ¹ 37, 38, 48, 51, 61 took active part in this event. The action results were:
- clean-up action of Baidarskiy Nature Reserve’s wetlands (30 participants);
- sanitarian cleaning of 2 unauthorized landfills in Baidarskiy Nature Reserve (27 schoolchildren);
- clean-up action of Uzunzha river’s basin (45 pupils from Peredovoye village).
Totally 12 km of small rivers’ banks have been cleaned. Total area of cleaned territories was about 2,5 hectares.
Five MAMA-86-Sevastopol activists have conducted lectures on environment protection issues and the thematic films have been showed for 105 Sevastopol’s pupils and action participants.
On March 23th and 24th a mass media campaign at the local radio informed about World Water Day 2006.
Feodosiya
On March, 22 public MAMA-86-Feodosiya celebrated the World Water Day 2006 "Water and Culture" by opening the digital photo exhibition of Artem Mironov, head of ecological NGO "Galantus" The exhibition was organized in the Feodosiya Ethnographic Museum. It will be work for a month.
Traditional Clean Water Fest and opening seasonal work of "Delfinchyk" fountain are preparing for April, 22 — the Day of Earth (due to the weather conditions).
Article on hygiene promotion were prepared for "Victory" newspaper.
Yaremche
On March 20—23 MAMA-86-Yaremche conducted a serious of ecological lessons on "Water Use Culture" in the context of World Water Day 2006 thematic. The lessons were held on March, 20 at Vorokhta secondary school for 50 pupils of 7—9 classes; on March, 21 — at Yaremche school ¹ 1 for 80 pupils of 7—8th classes, and on March, 22 — at Yaremche school ¹ 3 for 60 pupils of 7—9th classes; on March, 23 — at Mikulichin school for 100 pupils of 5, 9 and 10th classes.
During the World Water Day events MAMA-86 Yeremche disseminated among pupils of 8 schools and a library in Yaremche the information materials: "22d of March — the World Water Day 2006" bulletin, "Water Use Culture" leaflet, "Daily Hygiene" and "Eco-sanitation — a new approach to the waste water management in Ukraine" booklets.
The article "22d of March — the World Water Day" was published in a newspaper "Carpathian National" (500 copies).
Kharkiv
On March 18 MAMA-86-Kharkiv organised the World Water Day celebration on "Water and Culture" theme at 2 Kharkiv secondary schools ¹ 165 and ¹ 122, where the MAMA-86 project "Green Choice of Ukraine" is being implemented. To this event children made wall newspapers with the articles about water cultural traditions. In the articles they used MAMA-86 information materials and children’s materials obtained in the framework of the previous water projects.
The lecture about water cult in orthodox religion in Ukraine was conducted. In addition the children were informed about 2 Saint Springs — Saint Pantelemon’s spring (Kharkiv) and Pischanskà God Mother Icon’s Saint Spring (Izyum city of Kharkiv rayon).
Tatarbunary
On March 20th and 21nd MAMA-86-Tatarbunary has hold the meetings devoted to World Water Day in Polytechnic college ¹ 23 and Technical College of Economy and Law. In the framework of these meetings "In Captive of the Stupidity" film about history and current situation of Sasik liman, on the bank of which Tatarbunary town is located, was demonstrated. The lectures for youth on the drinking water problems in the world, in Ukraine and in Tatarbunary city, and about water saving and water resources protection.
Odesa
MAMA-86-Odesa together with the secondary school teachers conducted the Round Table "Ecological Education is a Basis of Youth’s World View development" in Stepanovka village Odesa oblast. The representatives of 16 schools and the Department on Education of Rozdel’nynskiy rayon took part in the meeting. MAMA-86-Odesa Director presented "The Sustainable Development for All: Ecological Sanitation and Wastewater Management for Rural Areas of Ukraine" project. The results of water samples tests on nitrate pollution from 5 water-supply sources of Stepanivska villages were presented and discussed at this round table. Theses analysis’s were conducted by Munich laboratory and in the framework of children project on water quality monitoring implemented by secondary school pupils. All Round Table participants expressed their personal interests in project implementation and in collaboration with MAMA-86-Odesa, the demands to monitor the drinking water quality and study the available water purification methods.
After the meeting the costumed performance with participation of 4 children groups of different ages took place. The concert scenario was written in verse form with a humour, satire and was devoted to environmental problems of village. Water was a key actor and image of the performance. The children offered adults to write Stepanivka Water Code to improve the state of Kuchurgan river which runs dry. Participants of the celebration noted that this event was the first environmental action in Rozdel'nyanskiy rayon. It was decided to conduct such holidays in other local schools too.
