water, sanitation & hygiene

We facilitate bringing water to each school via redirection of nearby water sources and construction of reservoirs and distribution points. In communities where there are no such nearby water sources, boreholes are being dug. Wash basins are set up by latrines. In collaboration with the local Health Department, and the Calgary-based NGO, “CAWST” sanitation and hygiene workshops are provided to students and teachers. WaSH clubs are strengthened at schools after the workshops, and trained students teach others and lead the school community in keeping the schoolyard, classrooms and latrines clean and safe. Our Education experts follow up implementation of the workshop lessons at each school on a regular basis. Anecdotal evidence indicates that students have been taking lessons learned home to their own families: “agents of change”.

Water is brought to all schools for the purpose of sanitary and hygiene needs, as well as to irrigate gardens. We also strive to bring sanitation and hygiene training to our schools. Provision of training on making washable sanitary pads from locally available fabrics, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and in school support to female students, WASH club members and school leaders has been ongoing, with a Volunteers’ Girl Club recently providing training to 64 students to that end.

The feasibility study of supplying 5 of our schools, the children’s homes and nearby villagers with water through a grant (CAD 120,000) obtained from the Peter Gilgan Foundation with the support of OES has been finalized. We have selected a drilling company and digging bore holes (up to 80 meters) in two of the target communities has begun.

We have signed a grant agreement with Splash International, in collaboration with which we are now able to provide WASH (Sanitation and hygiene) training in our target schools. The training includes installing clean water stations in schools, learning about handwashing and other sanitary practices, and more recently holding workshops on menstrual hygiene for both boys and girls.