1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. We’ve done it before!

18. 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?