Toilets & Water for school children, rural India

In July - September 2012, the school hygiene project has made considerable progress. 

Ariyanur Panchayat Union Primary School has about 24 students this year.  Previously the strength in the school ranged between 30 and 35 students.  The school had a hygiene facility but largely usable for a number of reasons.  The walls of the toilet were about 4.5 ft and there was no door.  Furthermore running water was not available inside the toilet and children had to pipe water from the village or neighbors and keep inside.  Since there was no door, and the school also had no compound wall, the local villagers would also use the toilet and it was always unhygienic and children had lots of difficulty.    Similarly, there was no drinking water source in the school and separate provisions had to be made to bring drinking water from the neighbors or community members for the children and the school teachers.

Since the condition of the toilet building was in reasonable shape, the project has now renovated the toilet facility by raising the walls by another two to three feet, ensuring ventilation and provided roofing,  The toilet has now been fitted with new doors that can be kept locked when the school is not in session which would prevent others from misusing the facility.  A local water source has been created and tank has been installed in the school and pipelines put into place so that water can be piped directly inside the toilet through tap.   For drinking water the school now has been provided with a Reverse Osmosis filtration system, so that clean drinking water is now available within the school.

Now the children do not have to run anywhere outside the school for running or drinking water or to use the toilet! They can stay in school the whole day and focus on their education!

Kizhakaandai Primary School, which had been supported last year with water tank and renovation of the hygiene and sanitation facilities, has now been provided with drinking water system, through Reverse Osmosis filtration system.  This would provide clean drinking water in the class room, while previously the children and teacher had to depend on the water source /taps in the hygiene facility or bring drinking water from the local community.   The school has also been encouraged and motivated to maintain the new hygiene facilities and the project is monitoring that this is happening.