Sanitation

In the past, objects used by farmers and nomads were either recyclable or biodegradable. No harm was done to the environment stemming from the discarded waste. With the advent of plastic, tin cans, and glass bottles, all this has changed: these objects litter the environment and do not disappear on their own.

The challenge is how to educate people. Karuna-Shechen programs teach proper sanitation practices in schools in Tibet and Nepal and in our health education trainings.

In eastern Tibet, Karuna-Shechen is installing a network of garbage collection containers with labels in Tibetan, Chinese, and English. A similar program has begun in twelve villages in Bihar, India. We oversee the cleaning of refuse from the meadows and streams around Shechen in Tibet three times a year.