International NGO Global Water has joined forces with the US-based Peace Corps to educate children in Guatemala about the importance of proper hygiene. In the Healthy Schools Program, Global Water provides the funding for the 'hardware' while the Peace Corps volunteers supply the education.

Global Water has already developed water systems in Guatemala, partnering NGOs to build water supplies and sanitation facilities in villages. The Peace Corps volunteers were trying their best to educate schoolchildren about proper hygiene but without the facilities to do so. Through the Healthy Schools Program, Global Water provides the funding for water systems, latrines, kitchen stoves and hand washing stations at rural schools. The Peace Corps then teaches the children how to use them, focusing on the importance of hand-washing. The communities themselves participate by providing manual labour to build the water facilities.

Once the facilities are installed and the program is in place, the school is inspected by the Guatemalan Minister of Health and can be recognised as a “Healthy School” by the Guatemalan government.

Read Global Water’s Healthy Schools Progress Reports:

• Final Report Handwashing station at Pakawex .pdf
• Final Report Tank Lavamanos Project .pdf
• Pacorral Final Report .pdf
• Pacorral Pictures .word doc

Related news:

• WASH in schools: Dubai Cares and global partners discuss common approach, Source Weekly, 30 Jan 2009;
• School sanitation: ITT launches ITT Watermark, Source South Asia, 25 Sep 2008;
• Nepal: water and sanitation to be taught in schools, Source South Asia, 30 Sep 2008

Web sites:Global Water; Peace Corps; Healthy Schools Program ; WASH in Schools

Source: PR.com, 10 Apr 2009

Tags: hygiene promotion, latin america & caribbean, school sanitation