In Ward No. 7 of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality in Dhanusha District, Phulbati lives with her husband and three young children in a small mud-plastered house on the edge of the settlement.
For years, unmanaged waste surrounded their home. There was no designated place for disposal and little information on how waste should be managed. Garbage collected near the house and washed into the family’s small vegetable garden. Flies were common and unhygienic conditions became part of daily life.
“This was normal for us,” Phulbati says. “I did not know that the waste around our home could make my children sick.”
The reality became painfully clear one night when her youngest son developed a high fever and began convulsing. With no money to buy medicine and no immediate help available, Phulbati sat helplessly beside her child. “That night, I was very scared,” she recalls.
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Phulbati with her children
Phulbati’s journey toward change began when she attended a community orientation related to WASH organised under the SOS Children’s Villages Nepal Community-Based Family Strengthening Programme (CBFSP). The programme supports families through a holistic approach, focusing on education, livelihoods, WASH, health and nutrition, child protection and safeguarding and local capacity development.
During the session, facilitators spoke about sanitation, waste management and the links between hygiene, disease and children’s health. Phulbati sat at the back, listening closely.
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Sharing knowledge on hygiene and sanitation, a facilitator engages participants during the WASH session.
“One thing they said stayed with me,” she recalls. “‘When we throw waste around our homes, we are the ones who become sick.’ It felt like they were speaking directly about my life and I realised my son’s illness could have been caused by the dirty surroundings.”
The message stayed with her. The next morning, Phulbati found an old torn sack and began separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. She cleared the garbage around her house and started changing how her family managed waste.
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Taking charge of her environment: Phulbati with the waste she has cleared from her home.
“I did not wait for anyone else,” she says. “I started with my own home.”
Today, Phulbati not only practices better waste management but also shares what she has learned with her neighbours.
“If we want change, it must begin at home,” she says. “Waste is not just outside. It lives in our habits.”
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A small rucksack, a big change: garbage collected by Phulbati from her home surroundings.
Her story reflects the spirit of World Environment Day in June 2025, which was marked through community-led activities in Ward No. 7 and Ward No. 9 of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality.
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Community members actively participating in World Environment Day activities.
The events included orientations on solid waste management, street cleanliness campaigns and handwashing demonstrations, highlighting the close connection between a clean environment, public health and children’s wellbeing.
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Community members actively participating in World Environment Day activities.
The programme brought together mother groups, Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), child clubs,and youth club members, reinforcing the idea that protecting children’s health and the environment is a shared responsibility.
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A hands-on demonstration on proper handwashing techniques during the session.
Phulbati actively participated in the activities, showing how awareness can turn into action and how informed, supported and empowered families can create safer, healthier environments for their children.