This project will provide safe drinking water to 1200 children in the municipality of Anzaldo (Cochabamba, Bolivia). Teaching staff and school kids will be trained on the use and maintenance of water filters and other simple technologies to obtain safe drinking water. Adequate infrastructure will be provided and hygiene conditions will be improved. Parents and community leaders also will be informed and trained, thus impacting the community at large.
Waterborne diseases are among the top three killers of young children in developing countries. Lack of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene condtions are the causes of these diseases, which kill 1.8 million children every year. Schools in Bolivia often do not have access to safe drinking water, and sanitation and hygiene conditions often are inadequate. In the municipality of Anzaldo, several schools do not have tap water on the premises, depending on unsafe sources of drinking water.
We promote simple solutions for improving water and hygiene conditions. We will provide water filters and innovative recipients (SODIS bags) for safely storing drinking water. Mobile hand washing stations will be installed, which use little water and facilitate the healthy habit of washing hands with soap after using the toilet or before eating. Teachers will be trained and educational materials will be developed and distributed. The project will implement integral disaster prevention programs.
For the mental and physical development of children, it is crucial that schools are places where they not only learn theoretical concepts but also practice healthy habits. Treating drinking water is such a healthy habit, as well as washing hands with soap. Research has shown that schools with improved hygiene conditions show lower absentee rates, especially among girls. Special attention will be paid to the situation of young girls who have specific needs for menstrual hygiene.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
