School Environment Improvement Program - Nepal

The present COVID-19 pandemic has affected the regular studies in the schools. Though online classes are held in the city, such facility is not available in rural areas (due to unavailability of internet access and poor economic condition of the family). In these rural areas, physical presence class is the only option.

ECCA supported Deurali Secondary School, Thani Basic School, Sitadevi Secondary School and Ram Secondary School located in the rural villages of Dhankuta district (in eastern Nepal) with COVID-19 prevention materials. All together 500 liters of chlorine solution (a disinfectant, branded as WATASOL), 600 face masks (washable), 4 boxes gloves, 300 hand washing soaps and 4 spray bottles were equally distributed to these four schools. This has helped to make the schools safe from COVID-19, making it possible for students to come and study.

Mr. Purna, teacher of Deurali Secondary School shared, “The support received from ECCA will contribute to avoid students' and school staffs’ exposure to COVID-19 infection. Due to shortage of fund and such materials, we were facing difficulty. We can now continue disinfection as well as practice personal hygiene and operate regular class. Thank you so much, ECCA, for considering our request.”

We are also thankful for your support.

Most of the schools in Nepal are running the classes with the combination of online as well as in-person classes. However, many of them are struggling to meet the prescribed health protocols. Besides, the environment is even more challenging for the schools in the areas closer to India. Considering this fact, the stakeholders from the four schools located in Jhapa district (in eastern Nepal) approached ECCA for the support.

ECCA supported all these four schools with COVID-19 relief materials, which included chlorine solution (a disinfectant, branded as WATASOL), backpack sprayer, and 2 no. informative flex (one related with COVID-19 prevention and another related with uses of chlorine solution). The ECCA staff met the school stakeholders and provided orientation on the uses of the supported materials.

These schools are now making the school premises/environment safe for their students by spraying the chlorine solution with the backpack sprayer to disinfect the classrooms and the school surrounding regularly.

We are thankful for your support.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Government of Nepal announced various restrictions (including nation-wide lockdown) from beginning of March 2020, most of which were lifted from mid June 2020 considering the need to revitalize the economy. However, the COVID-19 infections are increasing. The schools are one of the most affected sectors.

Using the Swiss WATA technology, ECCA is locally producing active chlorine solution of 6 gm/liter concentration (sodium hypochlorite, branded as WATASOL), which is a highly efficient disinfectant against COVID-19.  

WATASOL was provided to the schools in jerry can, for sanitizing the school premises / classrooms. Spray bottle was also provided, in which diluted WATASOL is filled and sprayed (to clean desk, bench, chair, table, staircase hand railing, etc.) making it easy to wipe. This has helped the schools to open, making it possible for students to come and study.

We thank you for your support.

Poor school environment makes students negative about school, says a study. The majority of public schools in Nepal lack even the basic facilities, including safe drinking water, toilet, proper furniture etc. and in the scenario like this, school environment beautification is beyond the imagination of school stakeholders. The situation was alike for Sitapaila Secondary School of Japhe, Dolakha, Nepal. After the visioning workshop arranged by ECCA, the dedicated school staffs and the students moved forward to improve the school premises.

ECCA supported the school to renovate the school’s compound considering school garden as a safe learning space for students and powerful environmental education tool for both the teachers and students. The teachers are hopeful that; after the reopening of the school after easing the present Covid-19 pandemic, through gardening, students shall involve on hands-on-learning being responsible caretakers by doing typical gardening tasks, such as planning, planting, caring and harvesting.

Mr. Arjun Gautam, Principal of the school thanked all for the support.

We also thank you for the support.

The Covid-19 outbreak has left many people more alone than they’ve been in a long time, or ever. Some are responding by involving in cozy domesticity; steaming momos, reading books, sketching, writing and what not? Besides all the coziness, the satisfaction provided by social media is an extravaganza! And why not? Influence goes both ways - isolation drives social media use and vice versa. And I couldn't be any further!

While doing some official works, I steal enough time to scroll the screen of my phone flooded with information related to preventing the pandemic spreading even more. Among all the information, hand washing and sanitation related things grab my attention with WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) being one of my working sectors. Just to mention a few, famous national-international portals, FM radios, celebrities and their kids, tiktok dance challenge, they all are doing their part for teaching a proper hand washing technique. To level up, we can also go through the videos of animals washing their paws!

I feel so connected with all of these that eventually I start looking back to my working sites – the villages very far away from Kathmandu - and the people over there. Those would be hard places to get rid of the coronavirus once it hits there. I wish I could work with them to assess their exposure more during this emergency. But somewhere in my heart, I feel that like always, they are doing their best in their individual level for personal hygiene as they have come a long way till date.

Being a part of numerous Children Camps, WASH Trainings/Orientations and Interaction Programs organized by ECCA from early days, the child club and women group members committed themselves wholeheartedly in their personal improvement since then. As a result, these days they themselves are a good practitioner of all seven steps of hand washing. It's so admirable to go back on how they helped others practice good handwashing habits in their school, home and community. I believe those big hoarding boards with WASH messages placed by ECCA in the communities are alarming the community people to wash their hands more frequently. I hope the chlorine solution (branded as WATASOL) made by the child clubs are working out as a good disinfectant in their home and community. 

While counting on every lockdown day, I look forward to seeing the students return back to normal school days soon and continuing dancing on hand washing song in their assembly! May the challenges posed by this time of fear and uncertainty in our lives and futures of our families, communities, countries, and the wider world go away soon.