Toilets Bring More Than Sanitation to Schools in Nepal
07/27/2010
Increased sanitation and education facilitates learning, reduces disease in rural Nepal
Lalit Khatari at school.
"I enjoy staying in the classroom where I can concentrate on studying," fifth-grader Lalit Khatri told me when I spoke to him at the Pashupati Primary School in Dashera village, which is located in the Jajarkot District of Nepal.
Through its local partner, Nepal Water for Health, Concern recently implemented a program to improve water and sanitation facilities at Lalit's school in an effort to promote basic health for the students of this rural region. I was back to visit with the children and teachers and see how the project was impacting their lives.
Nepal has the poorest drinking water and sanitation coverage for its population in South Asia and a correspondingly high rate of waterborne diseases. The most prevalent diseases in the area are: dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, hepatitis and cholera. The cholera outbreak in 2009 claimed more than 200 lives in Jajarkot District.
Lalit explained what had changed at his school since the project was implemented: "Now the school is clean and free of bad odors because of new toilets. And because of a new water tap, we have clean water, and have learnt about the need to wash our hands."
The situation here was very different four months ago. The area around the school was filthy, smelly, and dangerous. In the absence of toilets, younger students used the areas around the school, exposing themselves and other children to the transmission of waterborne illnesses, all highly preventable diseases which are too often fatal in this remote region of Nepal.
At Lalit's school, students at higher grades, particularly girls, and female teachers, would walk long distances in search of isolated and open spaces so they could have privacy. Similarly, when the children needed clean drinking water, they were forced to travel to nearby houses, which hindered their school attendance.
According to the United Nations Human Development Index, in Nepal, more than 60 percent of women over 15 are illiterate; and nearly 10 percent of all female children are currently not enrolled in school.
The urgency to begin a water and sanitation project was clear.
Improved hygiene behavior, which was taught in the school as a component of the project, has now been passed down by the children to their families - something that has proven in the past to bring about positive change at the community level.
Apart from the obvious improvements in health and hygiene practice, the children's teacher credits the project with contributing to her students sense of dignity and self-respect: "The water, sanitation and hygiene program in our school has not only provided us with services and facilities but we have now moved from shame to dignity. Before we did not feel safe or secure and often felt humiliated."
Recent surveys show that 59 percent of public and community schools across the country do not have any toilet facilities, a factor which has contributed to the increasing rate of girl dropouts per year. Concern has been working to improve the situation so that girls are encouraged to return to school and continue with their studies.
Cecial Adhikari is the water and sanitation program manager for Concern in Nepal.
We are concern about children living in the same conditions, no water facilities, sanitary, they have to carry thir water to wet the sand in what they call school. In fact it is like a aluminium shelter… How can we reach help for them… WE are a NGO in Nigeria.
We want these kids to reach better education…
— Claire Cote on 2010-08-04
Help erradicate unhygenic conditions in schools.
— JEROME GBEKOR on 2010-08-16
It is okay to avail such sanitary facilities to schools to enable good education for pupils and their teachers
But experts in this operations should be considerate when introducing a sanitary technology to the community inform of communal/public facility that we encourage a targeted community members, individuals and families to posses if not available
Technology that mulches with their weather, culture friendly and also income
Magala
— Magala on 2010-08-18
I would like to know how the flood came.
— suhayb rasool on 2010-08-28
Coalition for Action Against Poverty (CAAP) is anon profit macing organization it ia an NGO is want to a member of your organization to work together
— Derso Zeleke on 2010-10-23
please keep me updated with all new developments
— Mathilda Maboh on 2010-11-05
I WAS healthy. What can I do to help my country, Ethiopia, get safe drinking water and toilets?
— samuel mekuria on 2010-11-25
i need full answer to this quetion from you.what is the sanitation for survival of the child. please be fast do it
— ojoolayinka on 2010-12-02
The Lack of water in schoools had great impact on the Learning of Children.
We must all consider a water system that is affordable, viable and sustainable to schools.
RRWong on 2010/12/19
— Ringgit Robert Wong on 2010-12-19
As wash Project Officer in Vanunatu, on the smallest country in the south pacificc, i would like to share ideas on sanitation and hygiene issues with others
— kami on 2010-12-19
i’ve set up Teachers Sanitation Committies in each schools and a big committy selected out by the each schools committy and it become a strong network group in schools ans also in comunities ,it help improve children health
— Kami on 2010-12-20
WE ARE NOT GETTING WATER. PLEASE HELP US?
— srivatsav on 2011-01-10
Hi? I would like to know how sanitation issues are handled in schools. Which facilities are provided in schools and who funds those activities?
Dan R,Water officer
Uganda
— Rwabuhinga Dan on 2011-01-15
i would like to thank all those who have contributed on this issues one thing that we should not forget is that Girls(pupils) are the most affected category in our sociaty in that as there are near by water point at their school, when they go home is worst basing on our culture that encourages girls to go and fetch water after school and they come and go straight to the kitchen hence to much time is wasted that brings inequality in class performance, therefore as the government ,NGOS struggle to get water at schools let them also put water near our villages not just water but clean ,protected water hence little time is wasted. this from the District Of Gulu Northern Uganda
— kitanga stephenson on 2011-01-20
why our women suffer public infection by getting deseasby attending toilet and urinal no no no i cant belive that, i have solution to the problem i am ready to help our women from problem.
— cris afun on 2011-02-24
“sanitation is not only meant for the urban residents as thought of by most people but also for
the rural.” Some one justify for me this statement?
— ojoki simon peter on 2011-02-26
Sensitize public on WASH can change the behavior pattern and good health for rural communities.
— ALEXANDER. CH on 2011-04-04
Educate rural communities on WASH services and practices is adding wealth to the Nation.
— ALEXANDER. CH on 2011-04-04
the health of a child begins from the toilet that is why we go around creating awareness for people to note it.
— awofeso davies on 2011-05-27
without toilet a girl child is in a problem.
— awofeso davies on 2011-05-27
is the condition of our sanitation healthy
— tejash on 2011-05-29
Apply for memborship,Please include my Organization
— Shibu Prosad Baidya on 2011-05-30
improper maintinance of rular areas schools sanitation system are distroyed easily,so required proper maintinance.
— rakesh dhangar on 2011-06-09
without toilet a girl child is in a problem.also it’s the problem for every body in surrounding without toilet.pls we should try to encourage school to have at list a toilet in surrounding of the school, the Govt. should help them to have one. sanitation is most important in school
— Olagunju Oladiran on 2011-08-15
We communities, we should know that, we are responsible for our children health. We are the ones will be affected if our children get sick. We will stop everything are start to look for our children treatment. Remember most of unhygienic diseases are preventable. Let us work together work with our school in building up latrines, and constructions of water systems, both in schools and in the communities. think proper ways to help our schools and communities as whole!
— Theresia Kuiwite on 2011-10-16