School Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Program in India

Summary

Help students gain easy access to safe and drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities while adopting new hygiene practices.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In rural West Bengal, the school drop out rate is high due the lack of water and sanitation facilities in government schools. It is not uncommon for a school of 1000 students to have one tubewell and sanitatary facilities that are overburdened. Girls are especially vulnerable when they reach puberty because of the lack of sanitation privacy.

How will this project solve this problem?

Construct a drinking water station with multiple taps. Construct separate sanitary blocks for boys and girls giving female students the necessary privacy. Implement a health and hygiene education module to promote good health and prevent illness.

Potential Long Term Impact

Decreased absenteeism in school children, especially female students; decreased water and sanitation-related diseases; improved hygiene behaviors among students, parents and community members.

Project Message

"The realities of menstrual hygiene are not reflected in toilet design and construction. Issues like privacy, water availability, and awareness-raising amongst boys and men remain largely unexplored."
- Rajashee Mukherjee, Country Coordinator, Water For People - India

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a JPG file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources