Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) play a critical role in improving public health, preventing waterborne diseases, and ensuring the dignity of individuals in rural communities. Rural Development Trust (RDT) have implemented WASH programs targeting both schools and communities to enhance access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene awareness. These initiatives have been instrumental in improving health outcomes, reducing absenteeism in schools, and fostering sustainable behavioral change among rural populations.

WASH in Schools: Transforming Learning Environments: Recognizing that children are among the most vulnerable to poor sanitation and hygiene, RDT prioritized WASH interventions in schools. Our approach involved constructing gender-segregated toilets, handwashing stations, and safe drinking water facilities. Additionally, hygiene education was integrated into the curriculum, empowering students to become change agents in their households and communities.

Key interventions in schools included:

• Construction and Renovation: Building and refurbishing latrines to ensure functional and hygienic sanitation facilities.
• Handwashing with Soap Initiative: Installing handwashing stations and promoting regular handwashing, especially before meals and after using toilets.
• Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM): Providing adolescent girls with sanitary napkins, disposal units, and sensitization sessions to promote dignity and reduce school dropouts.
• Peer Education: Training students to lead hygiene promotion activities, fostering peer-to-peer learning, and reinforcing good practices at home and school.

Schools reported a 40% reduction in absenteeism due to waterborne diseases, improved concentration levels among students, and a greater sense of dignity, particularly among girls.

Community-Level WASH Interventions: Sustainable Change for Healthier Lives Beyond schools, RDT implemented WASH programs at the community level to ensure long-term sustainability and behavioral change. Our key focus areas included:

• Access to Safe Drinking Water: Installation of borewells, handpumps, and water purification systems to provide clean drinking water.
• Open Defecation-Free (ODF) Villages: Constructing household toilets, providing technical support, and conducting awareness campaigns to eliminate open defecation.
• Community Hygiene Education: Mobilizing self-help groups (SHGs) and frontline health workers (ASHAs and ANMs) to promote personal and environmental hygiene.
• Capacity Building & Behavior Change: Conducting training sessions on sanitation, water conservation, and hygiene practices through participatory methods like street plays, workshops, and community meetings.

Achievements and Impact Through these interventions, over 15,000 individuals gained access to safe drinking water, and more than 5,000 households constructed toilets, contributing to improved sanitation coverage. Community-led initiatives resulted in a 40% reduction in diarrheal diseases and an overall improvement in health indicators. The collaboration with local governance structures ensured sustainability, with community members actively involved in monitoring and maintaining WASH infrastructure.