Sustainable WASH in Schools: Transforming a Community 2016 Presidential Conference on WASH in Schools F. Ronald Denham, Ph.D., Chair Emeritus Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group March 19th, 2016

WASH in Schools supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Goal 6: Ensure universal access to water and sanitation for all, for ever. These fundamental human rights are critical to peace and security everywhere

And impacts five of Rotary’s Areas of Focus: Basic education and literacy Disease prevention and treatment Water and sanitation Maternal and child health Economic and community development

WASH in Schools is more than support for education, it is the trigger for transforming a community: Schools are the focal point for health, education and hygiene Children can be change agents for an entire community Schools can be the “Learning Centre” for hand washing and personal hygiene Better personal practices will spread to the household School health clubs can be catalysts for community sanitation improvement Literacy and numeracy are key to economic self-sufficiency

But many reasons impair its effectiveness: Inappropriate Technology: Too sophisticated for the community No trained technicians No spares, inadequate supply chain Inadequate Funding: Little understanding of life-cycle costs Tariffs inadequate to support operations and maintenance Little community support

Or other reasons, equally damaging: Little professional management: No “ownership” by community No capacity building or behavior change Little effective training of teachers No involvement of children Little linkage to the institutional environment: Local and national government policies Counterproductive legislation No commitment from local authorities

The Result? Children, especially girls, struggle with circumstances beyond their control and fail to realize their potential: Time wasted walking long distances to water sources Vandalised, broken water systems Inadequate, non-functional toilets/latrines Toilet doors stolen/broken, no private space No gender separation of latrines No hand washing facilities Little knowledge among teachers of better personal hygiene practices

Sustainable WASH programs demand a holistic, integrated approach involving ALL stakeholders: Private Sector School Population Political-Legal Authority Culture, Values NGOs Rotary Partners Financial Framework Media BEHAVIOUR CHANGE FACILITIES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Sustainable WASH in Schools programs build on three core elements: Engaging and empowering stakeholders and community Professional management - software and hardware Continuous monitoring and evaluation

Engage stakeholders, empower the community: Focus on schools; headmaster, teachers, students, parents. Jointly agree on scope, goals and objectives Conduct community needs assessments, collect baseline data Agree on interventions: hardware and software Confirm roles and responsibilities, school and community Identify needed support: funding, technology, skills, knowledge Empower WASH committee, especially the women

Implement SOFTWARE changes: Motivate schools to change behavior, adopt “best practices” Train teachers and students in hand-washing, personal hygiene Empower students through school health clubs Change school routines: e.g. group hand-washing. Create competition to reward change, e.g. cleaning toilets Communicate with partners, donors, NGOs, private sector, etc. Train Water Users Committees Engage the media, publicize success

Build facilities, implement HARDWARE changes: Review national, local standards Identify possible solutions: latrines, toilets, water service Evaluate technical, human, financial compatibility Agree on appropriate strategies Manage construction, build facilities and services Prepare manuals, train in operation and maintenance Encourage business opportunities

To measure is to KNOW: monitor operations to ensure sustainability: Functionality, reliability of water service Condition, cleanliness of toilets/latrines Utilization of toilets and latrines Functionality, gender diversity of School WASH committee Access and use of hand-washing facilities Sanitation and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) education incorporated into the curriculum Meeting national standards

Evaluate the program: are we achieving the humanitarian goals? Absenteeism, especially among girls School attendance and drop-out Water-related illnesses Community engagement in the school Gender diversity of school WASH committees Reduction of open defecation

Focus on the goal of sustainability throughout: Think financial, technical, institutional sustainability View WASH as a means to better education, not an end in itself Develop a holistic vision for the school and community Link to other Areas of Focus: health, maternal health, community and economic development Change the rules: advocate for changes in government policies and legislation Support business opportunities, create value in the community

WASRAG can help you! We can: Provide a compendium of best practices Identify potential matching clubs and private sector partners Facilitate partnerships, attract donors Provide expertise in designing sustainable processes Facilitate workshops to get commitment from stakeholders Design Monitoring and Evaluation processes

We’ve done it before!

Are We Ready For This Challenge? Rotary led the eradication of Polio: Created a global image of Rotary as a humanitarian organization Co-opted other organizations: CDC, WHO, UNICEF A holistic program to bring safe water, sanitation and hygiene to thousands of children is an opportunity to maintain that leadership. Are We Ready For This Challenge?

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