Sanitation for Education

The Challenge

In rural India, a lack of functional toilets and sanitation amenities, coupled with a lack of awareness of safe sanitation practices, often leads to high levels of absenteeism and dropouts. This seriously hampers children’s educational outcomes and life chances, especially for girls.

What We Will Do

In selected rural schools in Telegana, we will install a child-friendly sanitation infrastructures and deliver a school education programme on safe sanitation practices, including menstrual hygiene management. Children will be enabled to stay in school, leading to a reduction in forced and early marriages for girls, freeing them from a cycle of poverty, early motherhood and poor maternal health outcomes.

The Impact

Our Sanitation for Education project will increase awareness, change behaviours and establish child-friendly sanitation infrastructures to increase access to education for over 1,000 children in 5 preschools, 5 primary schools and 3 high schools in three village  administrative units. In doing so we will improve hygiene, reduce disease, as well as realise  gender equality and the dignity of school children, and so encourage students to stay in school and access education.