Novi's story
Meet Novi, WaterAid Timor-Leste’s Senior Hygiene Officer.
Novi spends her days teaching communities and our local partners about the importance of hygiene to ensure good health. She also designs hygiene promotion training with partners and community health workers linked with the Department of Health.
Here she tells us about her work:
“We aim to change the behaviour of community members so that we can reduce diseases that are caused by lack of water, sanitation and hygiene. The change in behaviour that we are aiming for is for people to get in the habit of washing their hands every day, especially after using the toilet and before eating.
The work we do means that children can attend school and get a better education because they are not sick. The work we are doing on menstrual hygiene also links to this.
WaterAid gives me lots of opportunities to build my capacity and for communities to feel the benefits of the work we do because there is ongoing support from WaterAid. The ongoing support and monitoring from government and WaterAid is very important for the long term sustainability of the projects.
Encouraging women to engage with our activities is so important. If it is just men that lead, it is different, when women also lead they talk to all people in the community.
WaterAid is like a family and always feels like it is a learning organisation. I really like this. We link with other WaterAid country programs and other partners. We have such a clear vision and mission.”
