Clean Hands Saves Lives - Lifelong Impact

Project Report: Clean Hands Saves Lives (CHSL)Summary

The Clean Hands Saves Lives (CHSL) project, led by Village by Village, continues to improve health and educational outcomes for children in rural Ghana. By pairing durable sanitation infrastructure—including eco-friendly toilet blocks, handwashing stations, and rainwater harvesting systems—with intensive hygiene education, we equip children with the tools and habits to prevent life-threatening illnesses.

Handwashing with soap remains one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to prevent diarrhoeal disease and respiratory infections. Through CHSL, thousands of students are building lifelong healthy habits that transform their schools and homes.

What We Achieved This Reporting Period

• Hygiene Education & Habit Formation: Conducted ongoing interactive hygiene education sessions across participating rural schools, reinforcing proper handwashing techniques.

• Compliance & Facility Audits: Performed routine school visits to monitor handwashing compliance, replenish supplies, and inspect water and sanitation infrastructure.

• Essential Supply Distribution: Distributed fresh soap blocks and maintained Veronica bucket handwashing stations to ensure uninterrupted hygiene access.

• Community Leadership Engagement: Hosted outreach sessions involving teachers, local chiefs, school management committees, and parents to deepen community ownership.

• Local Authority Collaboration: Strengthened partnerships with district education and health directorates to ensure alignment with regional health goals.

Follow Our Journey Live: We frequently post real-time photos, video updates, and community stories directly from the field on Instagram. Follow our work at instagram.com/vbyv_chsl (@vbyv_chsl).

Cumulative Impact to Date

Since launching in 2015, the CHSL initiative has achieved key milestones:

• 10,000+ Children Reached: Provided health and sanitation education to students aged 6–16 across rural communities.

• Eco-Sanitation Facilities: Built sustainable, self-composting toilet blocks tailored for off-grid rural school environments.

• Clean Water Access: Installed dedicated rainwater harvesting systems to supply clean water during both wet and dry seasons.

• 18-Month Behaviour Change Cycles: Delivered structured, long-term hygiene curricula to ensure habits stick long after installation.

• Student Ambassadors: Empowered children to advocate for hygiene practices within their families and peer groups.

Field Highlights & Stories

• Reduced Absenteeism: School headteachers continue to report noticeable drops in illness-related student absences, keeping children where they belong—in the classroom.

• Peer-Led Enforcement: In several schools, student health clubs have naturally formed. Children now actively remind one another to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet.

• Community Endorsements: Local leaders and chiefs have publicly championed the initiative, shifting hygiene from a school-only topic to a shared community priority.

Challenges & Adaptive StrategiesChallengeOur StrategySoap Replenishment: Ensuring continuous soap supplies in low-resource schools.Working with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and local leaders to co-fund local soap supplies.Infrastructure Maintenance: Remote location logistics for repairs.Training school caretakers and local technicians to handle routine upkeep locally.Long-Term Habit Retention: Maintaining hygiene standards beyond the 18-month cycle.Establishing student-led hygiene monitoring teams and refresher visits.What’s Next

1. School Expansion: Roll out the CHSL curriculum and sanitation infrastructure into additional high-need rural schools.

2. Monitoring & Evaluation: Conduct follow-up visits across existing communities to track long-term health metrics.

3. Digital & Community Storytelling: Expand community outreach and donor transparency through regular field updates on our Instagram channel (@vbyv_chsl).

4. Community Capacity Building: Deepen maintenance training for local committees to ensure 100% facility uptime.

How Your Support Makes a Difference

Your generous contributions through GlobalGiving directly fund:

• Clean Sanitation: Construction and upkeep of school toilet blocks and handwashing stations.

• Water Security: Installation of rainwater collection units.

• Essential Supplies: Provision of soap, buckets, and educational kits.

• Lifesaving Education: 18-month structured hygiene programs that save lives.

Thank you for partnering with Village by Village to give children in Ghana a healthier, brighter future!

Links:

• Village by Village website