The Pan African CLTS program meeting being held in Ghana started very well with exciting experience time of sharing, learning and reflecting from 9 countries namely Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Niger. The participation of representatives from embassy of Netherlands, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Plan USA and IDS added the needed dimension of knowledge for the meeting.

Key areas of reflection and sharing were around Sustainable Scaling up of CLTS. How do we ensure that CLTS is scaled up sustainably after attaining ODF within the communities and to new geographical areas?

Use of Natural leaders was another area of interest by sharing experience on how countries are working with Natural leaders to trigger other communities, monitor and follow up triggered villages, conduct ODF verification and Certification. Of interest was the Sierra Leone experience that generated a lot debate. Sierra Leone is working with natural leaders as part of their scaling up strategy who have organised themselves to form a formal a network with a constitution and now the network is formally registered with Ministry of Social Welfare and District Council. However, the active Natural Leaders are being supported with bicycles on basis of supporting their mobility in triggering, monitoring and follow up raising the question of sustainability of the process and if this could compromise quality of work. I strongly believe the next three days will generate more discussion as they were varying contribution on support to Natural leaders.

There was also interesting expectations from the participants which can be consolidated and categorised in 8 key areas that will help define the discussion for the next 4 days which were

• Natural Leaders
• Sanitation Marketing
• Children and SLTS
• Partnership and Collaboration
• Scaling Up
• Overcoming Subsidy
• Peri Urban and Urban
• Media Engagement

National Indicators and JMP indicators was one of the issues that come out the country presentation including Malawi and Zambia basically on definitions as there is a varying definition from country to country and the JMP. I would like to share this unfolding debate in my next blog and your comments will be appreciated.

Ulemu Chiluzi, Plan Malawi