Organization: UNICEF

Bandundu, is a small town located in western DRC. Students at Ecole EP Movoto, a school which has recently benefitted from the UNICEF-supported Ecole Assaini (‘Clean School’), participate in the programme.

Access to safe water and toilets is a challenge for many people living in the DRC, not least in schools where many do not have access to improved facilities. The Clean School programme aims change this – ensuring that all children have access to clean water, toilets and handwashing facilities. The programme, run in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Education, also involves training teachers, who in turn teach children to improve their water, sanitation and hygiene behaviours. Children are also provided textbooks on water, sanitation, hygiene and other health-related topics.

Students are invited to join the schools’ Clean Brigade which aims to ensure the school environment is sanitary, toilets are kept clean, children wash their hands and take pride in their appearance.

Ecole EP is just one of 1,253 schools which have taken part in Clean School initiative so far. There are plans to scale up the programme further in the next few years, alongside the Clean Village programme which has reached 4,226 communities so far. The programmes are run in parallel, and households are also encouraged construct and maintain their own toilets and handwashing facilities – in addition to accessing safe water. This means that children are able to put into practice the healthy behaviours they have learnt at school.

Keywords: access to water, empowering communities, hygiene, sanitation
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa

>> Reaching Water Security Through Cooperation
>> Ecole et Village Assainis