On the Ground

Inadequate sanitary facilities and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in schools. Lack of menstrual hygiene management services affects girls’ education.

Sriperumbudur, located in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, India, is a panchayat (a traditional system of local self-governance in villages and small rural communities) with a population of around 500,000. The Government of Tamil Nadu, particularly through its education department, has launched various programs to improve the quality of education in public schools. However, despite these concerted efforts, a significant issue persists: many public schools in Sriperumbudur and surrounding areas have inadequate sanitary facilities and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. This highlights the urgent need to improve sanitation infrastructure and promote better pregional practices

Many public schools lack functional toilets, handwashing stations, and menstrual hygiene management services, which endanger student health and hinder academic focus. Moreover, some schools face a significant disparity between student enrollment and available sanitation facilities, which exacerbates the issue.

Inadequate sanitary conditions pose serious health risks to school staff and encourage waterborne diseases. The absence of female hygiene management facilities perpetuates stigma and discrimination against menstruating female students, leading to increased rates of absenteeism and school dropout among girls.

It is imperative for stakeholders to intervene urgently and make collaborative efforts to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for all students.

In Detail

Both the Government Higher Secondary School and Panchayat Union Middle School in Sriperumbudur lack water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, which compromises the children’s health, education, and well-being.

Our intervention focuses on:

• Constructing and renovating sanitary facilities and handwashing stations.
• Creating menstrual hygiene management (MHM) labs, which are crucial for destigmatizing menstruation and improving female hygiene.
• Strengthening school management committees (SMCs) and children’s cabinets to ensure usability and promote behavior change essential to project sustainability.

The project includes the following interventions:

• Construction of gender- and disability-friendly sanitary facilities, including separate bathrooms for girls with incinerators (devices for the safe and eco-friendly disposal of menstrual hygiene products, like sanitary napkins).
• Renovation of old facilities.
• Construction and renovation of new handwashing stations to encourage behavioural changes through proper practices.
• Establishment of menstrual hygiene and health (MHM) labs in schools.
• Training and strengthening of the School Management Committee (SMC) and the Children’s Cabinet to maintain facilities and generate behavioural changes for the sustainable use of sanitation facilities.
• Creation of an IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) mural with important messages related to hygiene, health, and sanitation, along with awareness sessions for students.

Explanation of Interventions

• Formation of the Children’s Cabinet:
  Empower students to participate actively in water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives. The goal is to ensure a student-centred approach, fostering their sense of responsibility and leadership roles and promoting the sustained upkeep of facilities.
• Collaboration with Local Communities:
  Involving local communities in projects ensures a holistic approach. Communities become stakeholders, contributing to the sustainability of the initiatives. This collaboration fosters a collective sense of responsibility for hygiene practices.
• Awareness Campaigns:
  Creative and targeted awareness campaigns increase students’ and staff’s understanding of hygiene and sanitation. This approach positively influences behaviour and fosters the widespread adoption of good hygiene practices.
• Regular Monitoring and Evaluation:
  The implementation of a continuous monitoring and evaluation system ensures that facilities continue to function and meet the needs of the school community. It allows for timely adjustments and improvements, optimizing the impact of the initiatives.
• Curriculum Integration:
  Education and awareness on water, sanitation, hygiene, and IEC are incorporated into the school curriculum, ensuring ongoing learning about hygiene practices. This integration helps instil good habits in students’ daily lives, contributing to long-term behaviour change.
• Teacher Training Programs:
  Training teachers in water, sanitation, and hygiene education enables them to effectively convey hygiene messages. Teachers become advocates for good hygiene practices, reinforcing their importance inside and outside the classroom.
• Community Collaboration:
  Engaging members of local communities creates shared responsibility, fostering cultural relevance and sustainability beyond the school environment.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Monthly and end-of-project reports are generated to assess program quality and effectiveness. Project staff track indicators at the outcome and objective levels and provide reports for appropriate evaluation.
• Measurements are completed and recorded within the first three months, with specific project end targets set for each indicator.
• Project staff, national-level technical staff, and other stakeholders review project progress after compiling relevant indicators every three months.
• Indicator tracking allows re-evaluation of relevance and feasibility and assesses potential adjustments to project activities and direction.

Prospects for Sustainability

Strengthening the School Management Committees (SMCs) plays a crucial role in maintaining facilities in schools. SMCs actively participate in decision-making processes related to maintaining and improving water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure. They oversee the proper use of resources to build and maintain handwashing stations, toilets, and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) labs.

SMCs also engage with the school community to raise awareness about preserving these facilities, ensuring a sense of ownership and responsibility.

By involving SMCs in the planning, monitoring, and maintenance of WASH facilities, schools can establish sustainable practices, fostering a clean and healthy environment for students.

Forming a Children’s Cabinet significantly supports the maintenance of WASH facilities in schools. This cabinet, comprised of student representatives, acts as an advocate and leader in promoting hygiene practices within the school community. They actively participate in decision-making processes related to the use and maintenance of facilities, providing valuable input from the students’ perspective.

The Children’s Cabinet can organize awareness campaigns, encouraging their peers to adopt responsible hygiene practices. Moreover, they collaborate with teachers and staff to ensure regular inspection, cleaning, and upkeep of facilities.