School-Led Total Sanitation (SLTS)

As there having a severe lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities affects all children, with girls of menstrual age being particularly affected, due to inadequate or often, a complete absence of private and clean sanitary facilities forcing the girls to miss school for up to one week each month.

The project “Improving the demand for, access to, and utilisation of improved WASH facilities and services using the School Led Total Sanitation approach as part of the Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene in Difficult and Hard-to-Reach Areas of Bangladesh” works to support the enabling environment in the school through the construction/rehabilitation of WASH facilities, as well as capacity building of
teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs) and government officials on the importance of the practice of key hygiene messages and their respective roles. In the community, a number of social mobilisation approaches will be carried out to create an awareness of the importance of the three key
messages complimented by efforts to increase the capacity of the local traders/mechanics to anticipate and deal with the increased demand for sustained access to safe water and improved sanitation.

Supported by: The Neatherlands Government, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Concern Universal Bangladesh (CUB);

Duration: November 2013 to February 2015;

Project Location: Khagrachari Sadar and Dighinala Upazila of Khagrachari Hill District.

Targeted Beneficiaries:
Primary School Students- 9,692 (girls-4,741 and boys-4,951);
Secondary School Students- 6,505 (girls-3,222 and boys-3,282);
School Management Committees- 75 (Primary School- 59 and Secondary School16)
Community Members- 1,28,090 (from 75 school catchments around the schools)

Achievements of the project:

1. 1132 community members including 500 women from 75 targeted school catchment areas are trained on SLTS approach;
2. 2028 students including 1033 girls from 73 schools have been trained on roles and responsibilities of Students Brigade;
3. 71 Sanitation maps developed and action plan for open-latrine free village establishment developed;
4. Awareness of students on safe drinking water and hygiene practices have been enhanced through observing Worlds Water Day and World Hand wash day;

5. Habit for health behavior has been improved among the students through giving message on health and hygiene practices during daily assembly of schools;
6. Information on safe drinking water, health related messages and hygienic latrines have been spread among the villagers through the students and their brigade activities;
7. Rate of converting open latrine to hygienic latrine is increasing day by day as the Para Workers and Students Brigades are regularly visiting villages;
8. Wash blocks with full devices have been provided to 7 Secondary Schools and 1 Madrasah;
9. 20 new wash blocks have been provided to 3 Secondary schools, 16 Primary schools, 1 Ebtedayee Madrasah;

10. Toilet repairing supports are provided to 8 Secondary schools and 28 Primary Schools;
11. Hand wash devices have been provided to 75 schools;
12. 13 schools which are not covered under electrification, are provided with generators;
13. 22 Deep-wells and 1 Ring-wells have been provided to 5 Secondary schools and 22 Primary Schools in order to ensure safe drinking water.