In Pakistan, 1 in 3 schools lacks sanitation facilities. As a result, the children are often exposed to unhygienic conditions that can make them sick and prevent them from attending school. Particularly, a large number of school-going girls either drop-out or are discouraged to go to school on reaching puberty.
Access to WASH helps to ensure a healthy environment for learning and teaching, better educational attainment, improved health status and dignity for the school population, especially girls.
WaterAid has several years of experience working alongside governments and school institutions to help them take the lead on improving WASH in schools (WinS). We aim to achieve sustainable and inclusive school WASH through joined-up programming, which combines practical interventions on the ground with capacity building of national and local governments and education stakeholders (for example school management committees, teachers, etc.). We also seek to continually learn from and share experiences with others within the sector. Finally, we advocate for WASH in schools at global, national and local levels.
WaterAid works closely with the Ministry of Education Programme to construct gender-friendly sanitation facilities and water supplies in schools and helps to improve the sanitation and hygiene behaviour of school children. WaterAid implements WASH services in Schools with partners. This includes:
a) installation or rehabilitation of WASH services in schools,
b) introduction of replicable models for hygiene education, Menstrual Hygiene Management among adolescent girls, and
c) capacity building of teachers and government stakeholders.
In its WASH in Schools projects, WaterAid is committed to working with the education sector and other stakeholders to ensure that WASH facilities in schools are inclusive, gender sensitive and well maintained. WaterAid is working to build the capacity of the institutions mandated to provide and maintain WASH in schools. We advocate for sustainable and inclusive WASH in national education policies and financing. The promotion of hygiene behaviour change and inclusion within curriculum contributes to normalising safe hygiene behaviour in schools, including menstrual hygiene management (MHM).
Washrooms in this school are clean. They were dirty in my previous school. So, we did not go to the washroom at all.
