‘WASH for Education’ project, supported by ChildHope UK, Jersey Oversees Aid (JOA) is implementing by VOC in rural and remote areas of Mahankal Rural Municipality of south Lalitpur & Itahari Sub Metropolitan City of Sunsari. This project is designed based on baseline survey in the project area and consultation meeting with community people and local government regarding the situation of WASH facilities and its impact on children’s education. The project goal is to enable 7,400 vulnerable children, with a focus on 3,800 girls and 200 children with disabilities, to stay of re-enrol in school due to improved WASH facilities in 20 Earthquake and flood-affected school on rural Nepal. This project will tackle a significant cause of drop out and poor attendance – the lack of adequate provision of WASH facilities in school and a lack of understanding and adoption of hygiene and sanitation practice in poor, remote, rural Nepal.
The project will provide safe and functioning child-friendly, gender appropriate and accessible WASH facilities. It builds the capacity of local stakeholders on proper use of WASH facilities, promotes and empowers the children and community people for behavioural change regarding hand washing with soap, use of clean water, and safe disposal of waste in composite pits. The project is rooted in the community and uses existing structures such as WASH Committees and local people such as students and community volunteers to ensure activities are appropriate and result oriented. The project has been designed to promote the sustainability of its action and impact. The project design takes into careful consideration how both the infrastructure and the behavioural change, which are interdependent, can be sustained in order to ensure lasting impact.
Objectives of Project:
• To improve child and girl-friendly accessible WASH facilities 20 earthquake and flood affected schools in South Lalitpur and Sunsari which cater to a poor and rural student population.
• Students and teachers taking the lead in promoting sanitation and hygiene awareness and adoption within their schools and their fellow students.
• To build capacity of families respond on WASH need over the long term benefiting a total population of 15,375 people.
Activities under the Project
1. Accessible WASH Facilities
Under the project 40 school toilets will build or repair and child and gender friendly toilets will be built. Similarly, adequate hand washing facilities like water tank, tap, soap and hand drying materials will be ensured. Schools will be provided with water tank and purification systems for access of safe drinking water. Moreover, WASH kits will be provide to vulnerable students who are at risk of school dropout due to lack of adequate WASH facilities.
2. WASH Awareness & Adoption Peer educators from Schools, Child Clubs of the project community will be selected and trained on safe hygiene practices, leadership and facilitation skills to lead the awareness activities on WASH. Afterward, Peer Educators will conduct awareness and orientation session on WASH in 20 School’s focused on student’s sensitization and capacity building on WASH. IEC materials will be developed like skit, documentary targeted to behavioural change. Finally, Child Club and Parent Teacher Associations will be supported to promote and responsible on WASH facilities in school.
