Raising Clean Hands: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Schools

On October 13, 2010, Water Advocates and several sector partners held an event to raise awareness about WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in schools. The event was hosted at the Academy for Educational Development’s (AED) Idea: Exchange space, and featured a discussion panel and an innovative hands-on exhibit called Bathroom Pass. The exhibit showcases water access stories of four children from around the world and will remain free and open to the public until November 20th. The exhibit highlighted the many impacts of WASH in schools projects: decreased absentee rates, improved health, and increased gender equality. These projects achieve these goals by improving water access and providing latrine and hand washing facilities in schools. Students are further empowered to act as agents of change in their communities by sharing WASH lessons with their families. This event was in advance of Global Hand-washing Day, October 15th, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of good hygiene.

Maria Otero, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, who spoke at the event, shared her personal experiences while highlighting the need for more work to be done in the water access and sanitation sector. Otero said that, “the goal is to have adequate sanitation facilities for all” but recognized that the solution is not simple: achieving this goal will require ensuring sustainability and tracking data of WASH in schools projects.

Along with the benefits of WASH in schools, panelists discussed the importance of highlighting innovative WASH in schools solutions rather than focusing on the scope of the problem. Clarissa Brocklehurst, Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for UNICEF, said of WASH infrastructure in schools, “It may be basic technology, but it’s not simple stuff.” Every community has different needs that go into designing the most beneficial system, and there’s no simple solution. Beyond ensuring appropriate infrastructure, speakers also discussed the importance of educating stakeholders (i.e. students, teachers, parents) as part of an integrated solution.

Jack Downey of AED raised the question, “Whose responsibility is ensuring a healthy learning environment?” Panelists agreed that while it is the responsibility of the government to provide WASH in schools, it is not possible for one actor, whether public or private, to tackle a challenge this large alone. Public-private partnerships are a solution, and have made it possible to make progress against challenges that may be otherwise too large to tackle. Denise Knight, Water and Sustainable Agriculture Director for The Coca-Cola Company said that, “every enterprise is linked with the community in which they operate,” expressing a call to action for the private sector to assess how their companies can make a positive impact in the local communities. Local government involvement is also critical for any project to be successful, because they are ultimately responsible for the project’s long term sustainability.

What can you do to help? Educate yourself on the core issues, get engaged with your policy makers, leverage your strengths and those of your organization and find out what you can bring to the table. Every drop in the jerry can is one step closer to a global water solution.

Extra link resources:
Otero’s Speech
State Department Press Release

Lisa Schindler is an intern at the Global Water Challenge. The Global Water Challenge (GWC) is a coalition of corporations, NGOs and other organizations committed to achieving universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation (WASH).  GWC’s mission is to accelerate the delivery of safe water and sanitation through partnerships that catalyze financial support and innovation for sustainable solutions.  GWC has sponsored path-breaking WASH projects in Africa, Central and Latin America and India. globalwaterchallenge.org

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