Impact and sustainability of WASH in schools research

A study on the impact and sustainability of WASH in schools in Kenya and Kerala, 2006-2007, supported by UNICEF and carried out by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, NETWAS Network for Water and Sanitation, Nairobi, Kenya, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

This comparative study focused on the following variables, among others:
1. facilities: continuing operation, facility use and maintenance,
2. hygiene behaviours of children in school and at home; and, possibly, hygiene behaviours of children who have been in the programme but have since departed from the school
3. school-to-home links, information known by parents (disaggregated by gender of parent and child) and any changes in home as result of the programme
4. attendance/enrolment, particularly among girls
5. evidence of impact at intermediate level of school, county/district educational management
6. evidence of impact of SSHE on the implementation/outcomes of sanitation and hygiene programme at community, county, district levels.

Some of the findings were:

• Children wash their hands more often after using the toilet when there are more water taps and when there is water in or near the toilet.

This held true in Kenya, where on average, there was one water point for more than 200 children. However, in 26 of the 100 schools, more than 500 children had to use one water point. Thus in schools where fewer children had to share one tap in or near the toilet block, they were more likely to wash their hands.
However, in Kerala schools, the overall ratio was more favourable with one water point for 100 children or less. Here, the relation did not apply probably because children already had significantly better access to water within or near the toilets.

• Children use toilets that are clean and maintained

In both Kenya and Kerala, more children used the toilets which were better maintained and clean (defined as not having visible urine or fecal matter in the cubicle).

• Menstruation: Both in Kenya and Kerala, menstruating girls face problems when attending school.

The lesson learned is that school programmes which combine software and hardware inputs in a time-bound fashion with adequate resources can have a significant and sustained impact. These inputs were:

• construction of water, handwashing, toilet and urinal facilities, combined with
• emphasis on maintenance of facilities and organizing teachers and children for good use and cleaning of facilities
• teacher training and refresher training,
• child training and school health clubs,
• follow-up supervision for the schools.