Background
After much tooing and frowing with the local government bodies and an unexpected schools closure across the region, in the late spring of 2022 we finally got all the necessary permissions to start work on our planned water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). We planned to work in tandem with local government schools, district education offices and health posts to improve/install water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities in rural government schools in Bhirkot Municipality, Syangja district, in order to provide the basic right to each child in education of clean drinking water, proper toilet facilities with running water and soap for handwashing, and thus a safe, hygienic school environment in which to thrive in. A hugely positive knock-on effect of such facilities, is keeping more girls of menstruating age in education for longer.
Bhirkot Municipality wards 5 and 9 are some of the most remote and under developed areas of Syangja district, located 280km (13 – 14 hrs drive) west of Kathmandu. The majority of the communities are indigenous people including many marginalised populations. Prior to our support, the WASH facilities in the schools were very poor and often not working for lack of a simple piece of equipment. The toilet blocks were very dirty and unhygienic and the provision of water for washing and flushing was not managed, and in some schools non-existent. On top of this, there was no real hand washing practice after using the toilets and before eating their tiffin (lunch snack), all leading to a threat to the children’s health.
Outcome
Through the provision of upgraded toileting facilities and the construction of hand washing stations this project directly benefited over 800 students across 8 schools, and a minimum of 1500 community members who use an outreach health post. These numbers will only increase as the years pass.
To maintain the new infrastructure projects, we also supported each school in setting up safaa or clean clubs, handing over the responsibility of the upkeep of the new and upgraded facilities to the schools and their students. In conjunction with the local community health workers and a local nurse we also provided age-appropriate educational activities across such subjects such as basic hygiene, hand washing and sanitation, general and sexual and reproductive health and the availability of youth friendly services at local health posts and via the community health workers.
In total we successfully completed:
- The construction of 8 hand washing stations in 7 schools
- The upgrading of 1 already existent hand washing station
- The construction of 1 hand washing station at an outreach health post
- The installation of water tanks and pipe fittings for toilets and hand washing stations for 8 schools
- The tiling of toilets and urinals for 6 schools
- The installation of a water tank and pipe fitting for the outreach health post
- Formation of saffa or clean clubs and activation meetings for 8 schools
- Cleaning materials and seed money handed over to each club
- Age appropriate hand washing, health and hygiene; general and sexual and reproductive health and youth friendly services sessions conducted in all 8 schools
Provision of Services
Alongside the provision of cleaning materials, seed money for the ‘clean clubs’ and health education to each school, the breakdown of works is shown below.
1. Shital Chaura Basic School
- Handwashing station completed
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
2. Thulibhanjyang Basic School
- Handwashing station completed
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
3. Thulibhanjyang Secondary School
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
4. Pipal Danda Secondary School
- Handwashing station completed
- 1000Ltr water tank installed
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
5. Rajendra Bhawani Secondary School
- 2 new handwashing station completed and one existing one renovated and made child friendly
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
6. Outreach Health Post
- Handwashing station completed
- 500Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
7. Sirkot Secondary School
- Handwashing station completed
- 2000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
- Rotten toilet doors replaced
8. Bhabishya Nirmanad Basic School
- Handwashing station completed
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
9. Balkalyan Basic School
- Handwashing station completed
- 1000Ltr water tank installed with all necessary plumbing
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
- Access for toilet and handwashing station made child friendly
10. Bal Shikshya Nikatan School
- Handwashing station completed
- Tiling in toilets & urinals
- Running water in the toilets & urinals
What the Schools have to Say
“The Municipality is giving support for toilet blocks, but they don’t think about the small, basic things and neither the Ward or schools have budget for these things. HQF and the Wishner5’s support is very much appreciated.” Ward Chairperson
“We are very lucky for connecting with HQF and we are getting support in improvement of school and community in health and education sector.” Rajendra Rana, Head Teacher – Sirkot Secondary School
“Ive seen nice structures like this in some hotels and colleges. We all girls are very happy to have this nice wash station and water tap inside out toilets. Also, the health session on sexual and reproductive health was very uses as was knowing there are youth friendly services at the health post.” Sapana Rana, Treasurer – Pipal Danda Children’s Club.
“We are very happy with the support of HQF. We will continue WASH activities and we will be a model school about WASH.” Romakanta Ghimire, Head Teacher – Pipal Danda Secondary School
“We had great difficulty cleaning the toilets due to the rough surfaces, water storage system and no proper hand washing station. All these problems are solved now.” Binid Saru, Assistant Head Teacher – Bhabishya Niramd School
“By looking at the hand washing station at our school, some community people are also planning on making a single tap station.” Balaram Adhakari, Teacher – Thulibhanjyang Basic School
“We had fancy toilets, but had to use a jug and bucket to do hand washing. Now with a tank and operational tap we are getting proper hand washing.” Kamala Gurung, Grade 9 student – Thulibhanjyang Secondary School
‘We are very thankful to the HQF team. After this project we see how little improvements make a big difference.” Dala Bahadur Saru, Head Teacher – Rajendra Bhawani Secondary School
“After this support it is very easy for the children to wash their hands. We can store water and use it any time. Our school can be a model school in the Municipality.” Tau Maya Gurung, Head Teacher – Shita Chaura Basic School
“Thank you for your ongoing support for our school. Such simple changes have a big impact.” Krishna Pangeni, Head Teacher – Bal Shikshya Nikatan School
This project just goes to prove that a relatively small financial investment allowing for small changes to be made, can have a huge impact, not just on those children currently enrolled at the schools, but moving forward as well.
A Himalayan thank you to everyone involved with this project. To Hari Bhusal our Programme Manager, Kumar Rana from Sirkot Health Post, the community health workers and Nilu Ale for running the educational programmes, and the head teachers and School Management Committees for organising the work.
Most of all however, we wish to thank our donors, without whom this work would not be possible. The Wishner family, collectively known as the Wishner5 and their supporters for funding the work for 9 schools and the outreach health post, and Amica Felt for kindly supporting the work for Bal Shikshya Nikatan School. Collectively you have provided the basic right to each child in education of clean drinking water, proper toilet facilities with running water and soap for hand washing