Surkhet, Nepal - A school[2] located in Awalparajul, a remote area of Ward 3 in Bheriganga Municipality, has no drinking water or sanitation facility for the students, and the nearest water source is a river (approx. 500m away). The unavailability of toilets means open defecation near school premises is the only option. This threatens the education of the students as they are at risk of getting sick due to hygiene-related diseases.

One of the main challenges for schools in Nepal is that resources, technicians, and finances are difficult and sometimes even impossible to access. Government funding for maintenance is even more complicated. These challenges lead to broken water taps, dysfunctional water storage tanks, toilets without functioning latch or light and the lack of proper disposal facilities for menstrual hygiene products. Therefore, our focus is to ensure existing facilities in the schools are sustainable.

A simple solution that can have a long-term impact

ENPHO, our partner for the WASH SDG sub-programme, works with 10 schools in Surkhet to develop school improvement plans. While the plan encompasses the overall improvement of the school, a WASH coordination committee is also formed to ensure WASH facility improvement is prioritized.  To ensure long-term useability and sustainability of existing school building and Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) infrastructures, the first step is to establish an effective Operation and Maintenance (O&M) fund. This fund can be used to purchase hygiene materials and other equipment’s required for the maintenance and repair of existing WASH facilities in the school.