Changes

'''Country:''' India

=== Improved sanitation facilities keep girls in school ===

Wherever the Need completed a new eco-sanitation block for the girls at the at Chandra Girl’s School in Tamil Nadu. 1300 female students and their teachers benefit from the new sanitation facilities at this school but the NGO runs several more school toilet projects in the region.

Students and teachers at Chandra Girl’s School in Tamil Nadu used to have no other option than to use the nearby wasteland as a toilet. The health and safety of the girls and school staff suffered under dreadful circumstances as diarrhoeal diseases easily spread, and the girls were also at risk of getting attacked while looking for a secret place to urinate or defecate. ''“We used to go at least in pairs because we felt much safer then,”'' Prianga says.

During the planning process, UDDTs were selected as the key sanitation technology, but that alone was not enough as Vanden explains: ''“As it was a girls’ school, we paid more attention to the gender aspects. We also built an incinerator for the safe disposal of economically Viable: used sanitary napkins.”'' K. Arthi adds: ''“The change closing the loop by of pads become much easier with the wash room collecting and reuse fitted with an incinerator. The Ayyah who is engaged urine and faeces protects in cleaning the sanitary block regularly burns the environment and finances disposed pads.”'' The Ayyah is a woman from the nearby village who is responsible for the daily maintenance and the cleanliness of the sanitary block. The Parents-Teacher-Association covers her salary as well as other operating costs.

[[File:I3.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Closed toilets and wash rooms with urinals]]

Wherever the Need also recognises the valuable nature of the urine and faeces collected by the ecological toilets, and therefore collects the output of the toilets. Vanden describes the process: ''“We are running several projects in the region and home villages. we are well appointed with necessary equipment. It is easier and eco-friendlier to do the collection and distribution of the output in a centralized way than to force schools to invest, for example, in trucks. Meanwhile, we are regularly able to check the facilities and do maintenance work if necessary.”''

The eventual sale of the urine and faeces also provides the project financial security. ''“The income we generate from the sale of the compost is sufficient to cover the associated maintenance and running costs each year. The necessity of maintenance deviates from each school. If they had to bear the costs for themselves it would not always be possible to do the required repairs. But as we are saving the income from all schools, the costs and incomes evens out.”''

Vanden identified timing the behaviour change perfectly as one of the most important lessons learned.''“When we started building the sanitary facilities we realised that the girls were very open and interested in the new technology. They were curious themselves and did not need motivation from external factors. We used this moment to educate them about sanitation, health and hygiene behaviour.”'' Parents, through the school, are also very aware of the project and its benefits and now wish to get ecological toilets as well. Two students, Prianga and Jayaputhradevi, campaigned for eco-toilets in Anaivari, their home village. Inspired by this story, two private donors from the United Kingdom have recently funded the construction of an eco-toilet block at Anaivari Primary School.

'''Socially Acceptable and Institutionally Appropriate: '''Improved sanitation facilities convince families to allow girls to continue their education even after puberty.

'''Promote Health and Hygiene Effectively:''' Hygiene education classes help to break taboos and encourage girls to campaign for greater investment in sanitation facilities in their home villages.

'''''Wherever the Need''''' has been operating since 1997 as an international development charity, working closely with communities to build sustainable futures in some of the poorest parts of the world. Their focus is the provision of eco-sanitation and clean water, understanding that this is the key to improved health that, in turn, unlocks opportunities and potential for individuals. Since 2005 Wherever the Need has changed the lives of over 50,000 people, mainly in India and Sierra Leone.

'''Vanden Bowen'''

Wherever the Need<br/>