Many students of Dhikpur Village Development Committee (VDC) in Dang Deokhuri District, southwestern Nepal, get an additional 10 marks in their exams if they construct a toilet in their home. Local women and young people came up with the idea to make the village clean and the schools agreed.

“Only a few students had toilets in their houses until a year ago," said Drona Rawat, principal of the Mukunda Danda primary school. "About 90 percent students attending the first quarterly exam this year had toilets. All the students now have toilets in their houses. Learning from the students, the other houses in the VDC have also started to construct toilets,” he added.

Related news:

• Nepal: 10 schools selected for human value-based water and sanitation education pilot, Source South Asia, 22 Jan 2009
• Nepal: total sanitation target a formidable challenge, Source South Asia, 31 Oct 2008
• Nepal: students have to walk 30 minutes to defecate in the jungle, Source South Asia, 02 Oct 2008

Source: Durga Lal K.C., Kantipur / NGO Forum, 21 Feb 2009

Tags: hygiene promotion, on-site sanitation, school sanitation, south asia