School Environment Improvement Program - Nepal

Pushpanjali Secondary School located in Taukhel, Lalitpur lacked separate facility for hand washing. Hence, at the request of the school management, ECCA supported the construction of hand washing station in this school, which benefited the entire school (40 teachers and 400 students).

Mr. Allen, Director of the school remarked “The construction of the hand washing facility will help to prevent the students from being afflicted by various diseases. Thank you for your help.”

The Student Club of this school has been successfully producing chlorine solution in their school from the WATA device provided by ECCA. This chlorine solution is then used to disinfect drinking water supplied to their students and teachers.

We thank you for your support.

ECCA has been working towards developing water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in the schools. In the developed facilities, wall painting was done in July 2018. The ECCA counselors painted WASH related messages inside as well as outside the toilet building and on the wall next to the hand washing tap. The objective of the wall painting was to make the students aware about WASH and orient them on the proper utilization of WASH facilities.

Before organizing the program, the schools were informed about the details of wall painting. The school principal, teachers and parents assisted for the effective management of wall painting program.

The wall painting was done during summer vacation (the date was coordinated with the school), so as not to disturb the students in their regular class days. When the school opened after summer vacation, students were excited to see the paintings. In addition to providing useful messages, the painting made the physical infrastructures beautiful.

“The painted hand washing technique has helped to remind the students on proper steps related with the hand washing” remarked one of the teachers. The school teachers and students were thankful to ECCA for organizing such a program in the school.

We thank you for your continued support.

In May last week 2018, Refresher Training on WASH, life skills, and nature club management was held in the three schools of Bhirkot village, Dolakha district.

1. Narayani Secondary School, 28 participants

2. Bhimeshwor Basic School,  27 participants

3. Ganesh Basic School,  26 participants

The participants included students, teachers and representatives from School Management Committee and Parents Teachers Association.

The objective of the training was to make nature clubs and other school stakeholders aware on

(a) the importance of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Menstruation Hygiene Management, and

(b) their role to improve such facilities in schools.

During the training, orientation on life skills as well as sessions on how to better manage school nature clubs was also held. On the last day of the training, the participants prepared six-month action plan to improve the environment in their respective school.

Through the training, the participants learned about water contamination, water purification methods, sanitation and hygiene, girl-friendly toilet, waste management, personal hygiene, first aid, possible activities for nature club activities.

We thank you for your continued support.

ECCA recently constructed separate boys and girl friendly toilets in Shree Sishu Shakshar Basic School of Mechinagar -1, Jhapa. The school has 193 female students.

Lack of proper toilets and water faciltiies had been problematic for both students and the teachers. The number of girls in this government school is much higher than boys. Due to lack of girl friendly toilet in the school, girl students have been facing comparatively much more adjustment problems during school time. "It was not uncommon for 2 to 3 girls taking leave everyday due to menstruation related issue", shared a female teacher.

Chadani, president of school's nature club, aged 13, has been witnessing different kinds of problem regarding menstrual hygiene. She expressed “We used to take lot of leave and we were also not able to express our feelings with our teachers, parents and even our colleagues. But after construction of girl friendly toilet and menstrual hygiene training conducted by ECCA, now we don’t take leave that often during menstruation. We now feel more comfortable talking about it."

ECCA has also guided the school club, such that the students themselves take care of cleaning the toilet, as part of their daily routine.

“Now, all our children are much happier. Especially, girl students are less compelled to go home during menstruation. The school club started to provide sanitary pads to female students without any hesitation. Also, with facility of changing room, towels, soaps the students are having a more comfortable learning environment”, says the principal. “We are very thankful towards ECCA for helping us create this environment”, he added.

Overall, the construction of the toilets and related facilities has contributed to better hygiene and higher attendance of students. We are very thankful for your support.

ECCA recently distributed WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) materials to 5 community schools of Dolakha district. The support included materials like water filter, filter stands, water bottles, dustbins, dustpans, first aid kits etc.

ECCA has been working with school nature clubs and other school stakeholders for improving the school environment. The schools lacked basic needs such as water purification devices, sanitation materials, first aid kit.

"Last month, one of our students met an accident and we had to carry him and rush to the nearest health post. As we did not even have simple first aid medicine, the situation was really difficult for us", shared principal of one of the schools.

Such difficulty is expected to lessen. Now, each school has a first aid kit box.

Moreover, none of the schools had proper water purifying system. Students have been drinking water carelessly from the tap itself or wherever they get. Now, each classroom is provided with stainless steel filter fitted with silver colloidal ceramic candle which is capable of removing protozoans along with turbidity.

Also, to help the schools to improve their sanitation, dustbins, dustpans and brooms were provided for each class.

An orientation was provided to the school clubs and teachers before the distribution, such that the materials can be used efficiently and carefully.

We thank you for your support.