About the Fundraiser
Hi everyone!
I am Pratima Deswal and I'm one of the finalists of Mrs. India UK 2019. I believe that only by doing something for the society one can be called beautiful after all Charity is the true reflection of beauty. I have decided to use this platform to raise funds for WaterAid India.
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but water and sanitation for all remains an elusive goal. India struggles with inequitable water use, historical neglect of sanitation and hygiene, and lack of water rights, compounded by the systematic exclusion based on caste, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, and economic status.
Background
WAI’s(WaterAid India) WASH in School program across program states (both rural & urban) brings forth the realistic situations at the ground, including policy gaps directed towards building WASH secure schools. In-spite of all tall claims from Government and concerned Ministry towards ensuring 100% saturation, there are quiet pertinent issues related to gap in access, coverage, quality assurance and sustainability of school WASH services.
Water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development, critical to the survival of people and the planet. Goal 6 of the SDGs not only addresses the issues relating to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, but also the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide.
Area Brief: Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh
Chitrakoot is one of the most backward districts in Uttar Pradesh. In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj identified Chitrakoot as one of the country's 250 most backward districts (later the ranking increased to 272). As per the district data, under five mortality rate of Chitrakoot is alarming at 119 as compared to the state average of 90. The leading causes of child death under age five, includes diarrhoea, malaria, malnutrition, pneumonia and pre-term birth. Besides, poor hygiene and sanitation practices directly affect the prevalence of diarrhoea and malnutrition among children.
Evidently, there is a general lack of infrastructural development in the district. Until now, only 11.39% of the household (mostly urban) have access to treated piped water supply. Villages that have a pipeline system installed lack a regular water supply, while there is no outlet for dispersal of wastewater. It stagnates near the hand pump, leading to increased vulnerability to water borne diseases.
Current Situation of WASH in Schools
The infrastructure for separate toilets for boys and girls is available in almost all the schools but the main problem is its functionality. Either the toilets are not regularly/daily cleaned or running water supply in the toilet is ill regular/insufficient that led to students sit in open during the mid-day meal or so. Since the majority of the schools have hand pumps as the source of drinking water as well as for use in the toilets, therefore handwashing facility is also a challenge in these schools. The dustbin facility is not available and if they are available, they are the makeshift dustbins from tin containers or cardboard boxes.
Menstrual hygiene issue is again a big issue in upper primary schools and higher than that. No information or sessions on hygiene practices and sanitation are undertaken in the schools.
Coverage of WASH facilities in Schools
The coverage of schools with drinking water and toilet facilities has improved. However, poor operation and maintenance of these facilities are undermining sustained coverage, resulting in loss of investments. For example, lack of dedicated funds for operation and maintenance, weak management and regular water availability inside toilets, all contribute to dysfunctional, unusable toilets.
The key issues include
Infrastructure gaps-
- Lack of funds and provisions for O&M in School Development fund-WASH needs to be integrated in School development plans as an independent agenda rather than making it part of general school infrastructure.
- Absence of mechanisms to maintain toilets (operation and maintenance), the infrastructure for the toilets exists in schools but generally the toilets are dirty or non-functional therefore cannot be used. In some schools, the toilets are locked.
- Safe and Secure WASH facilities for girls especially Adolescent girls- Taking into account Menstrual hygiene facilities- especially system and mechanism for disposal of sanitary napkin either in the school or in the community.
- No clarity on the position of sweeper in the schools. The primary schools do not have a position for the sweeper. The village sweeper is responsible for cleaning the school toilets. Therefore, the cleaning of school toilets is not regular.
Committees/institutional functionality gaps-
- Integration of School WASH with RTE Act although Right to Education Act talks very vividly on it.
- Authenticity of DISE data- specially mechanism for data collection and validation
- Accountability issues related to SMC, SMCs are not active and committee members, especially guardians are not aware about their role in the committee.
- Systems of Grievance Redressal- Accountability and ownership of Local Government
Inclusion gap-
- Planning based on Equity and inclusion- school WASH facilities catering to need of Children with Disabilities
Capacity and perspective gap-
- Absence of trained cadre and capacitated school management committee (SMC)
- Absence of Child perspective- child centric planning approach
WAI approach on WASH in School-
School WASH program implementation design is focused on creating WASH facilities in school and thus providing positive learning environment. Key indicators include:
- Model Building/technological Innovations
- Schools as an institution of change for WASH behaviours- This would be indicated by comparing the WASH behaviour of the children attending the schools, their parents and peers with those who are not receiving hygiene education, that is, non-school goers and their families etc.
- Influencing and Advocacy for effective School WASH facilities- making WASH an integral part of school development plan- Fund flow mechanism
- School Children come up as an ambassadors of change and facilitate WASH behaviour change from school to community
- Behaviour change for toilet usage and promoting Hygiene education and habits such as Handwashing, safe storage of water and general cleanliness
- Sustainable cadres- SMC, teachers, School WASH brigade, WASH ambassadors
- Integrating with Local Government by ensuring increased allocation of funds for new construction, O&M cost coverage and its timely disbursement, hygiene education and instilling accountability in the system – sustainability and efficient Grievance Redressal system.
Key Objective
- Establish sustained processes in schools around WASH services through institutional capacity building and creating cadre of WASH champions to facilitate connect from school to community towards behaviour change process
- Ensuring functional and effective partnership with stakeholders and civil society forums to address issues related to rights, equity and inclusion in purview WASH secure schools
- Integrating school WASH program with Nutrition, health, hygiene- (menstrual hygiene) and behaviour change process
- Establish models of functioning child friendly toilets, separate for girls and boys with facilities for menstrual hygiene management in schools
Proposed Geography
4 school in Chitrakoot District
Anticipated Outcomes
- Accountable and strengthened School Management Committee for inclusive WASH services in school
- Teachers cadre strengthened as Champions of WASH to ensure sustainable WASH services in School
- Improved/ positive response to WASH messages, better environmental hygiene and hygiene habit promotion leading to impact at community level behaviour change process
- Sustained hygiene behaviours and sanitation practices through child participation in family and school neighbourhood community
Key Interventions-
Capacity building
Focus:
• School Management Committee
• Teachers
• District and Block level officials (Education/ PRI/ Rural Development)
• WASH brigades (Children’s group)
• Adolescent girls (MHM centric)
Community Cadres
Focus :
• CBOs/ Community groups
• Adolescent girls group
Children as Change agents
Focus:
• Facilitating school level WASH brigades
• Hygiene Campaigns through WASH brigade
IEC/BCC
Focus
• Community and School based campaigns
• Promoting Hand washing as critical behaviour
• Menstrual Hygiene Management
Model Building/ technological innovation
Focus:
• Inclusive toilets for Children with Disability
• Solid Liquid Waste Management in schools
Advocacy/ Influencing
Focus:
• Operation & Maintenance of WASH facilities in school
• Funding of School development plans (leveraging funds from local government)
• Schools integral part of Gram Panchayat WASH planning process
I would urge you all to come forward and help WaterAid India implement their amazing initiative.
