While toilet and hand-washing facilities for 5,000 students in Bilaa are under construction, 173 teachers are currently being trained in workshops. The aim is to raise awareness of good hygiene practices such as proper hand washing and menstrual hygiene for girls.
The training is carried out by so-called WASH teams. WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. The teams consist of representatives from the water authority, the local health authority and the education authority. The team is supplemented by a community member with high social standing, who is responsible for coordination with the community.
The project hopes that the improved hygiene standards in the schools will serve as a model for the entire village community and that the new practices will become widespread, thereby reducing infections and diseases overall.
For more information see: Ethiopia Bilaa Sanitation