Effectiveness of School Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Program: In the case of Assossa Woreda Primary Schools, BGRS, Ethiopia.
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Date
2011-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
School WaSH survey was carried out in the primary schools oj Assossa woreda, BGRS, Ethiopia. It
was intended 10 assess the situation and effectiveness of waler supply and sanitation facilities in
schools, hygiene awareness of teachers, hygiene knowledge and practice of students and
outreachingJamilies. The sludy employed muti-stage sampling lIIelhod and accordingly, 16 schools
were selected frOIll the Woreda(35% oj the schools) Jar JacililY siluation analysis, and oj which
three schools were selected for in-depth study by drawing sampled slIIdenlS from grades ill, 6'11 and
8'h (1 0% Jrom each grade). About 64 teachers (20% oJ leachers in all salllpled schools) and 166
students (54.2% oj girls) were considered Jar in-depth ' sllrvey. Data were collected by
questionnaire, interview, FGD and observation. The dow were analyzed by ellIp/oying statistical
melhods and so}iware (SPSS) along with Ihe chi-sqllare tesl. More than 56% oJthe schools did nOI have access to waleI' wilhinlheir cOlllpollnd. About 56.3% oj
the schools were not able to gel water all oj the times and 38% oj the schools Ihal were IIsing their
waler for drinking p1l11)ose were getting their water mainly from IInprotected sOl/rees. Almost all
rural schools (68.7%) were /Ising unprotected water sources (p<0.05) . Sevenly five percenl oj the
schools did not make any Irealillent to Iheir water. The Idilel silldeni ralio \I'as 1:98 alld I: 10I(or
boys and girls respectively, which is above the limit of national standard. The schools did not have
clean toilets (47%), and 33% oj schools have toilets that were slllelly 10 the exlent Ihat made Iheir
usage difficult. Only 18.4% oj children were regularly using lalrines Jar deJecalioll. The main
JactorsJor irregular use oJloilels were poor cleanness (53.7%) alld 10llg qllelle (55. 1%). More Ihan
62% oj schools had no hand washing Jacilities. Nearly 41% oj SllIden ls were not washing Iheir
hands due 10 lack oj water sllpplies in their schools, and only 21.7% oj boys alld 12% oj girls were
using school toilels regularly. More Ihan 18% oj studems Jaced diarrhoea this year at least once
and 15% oj the cases were absent ji-om school al leaslJor olie day dlle 10 Ihe illness. Despite the
difference in' location (urban v rural), students had Ihe same problem at all schools. Hand washing behavior oj studems a}ier deJecation was poor . .The absence 0/ desired behaviors
was steamedfi'om lack of knowledge and facilities/resollrces 10 support learl1ed behaviors. Almost
all schools had no mainlenance plan Jar their WSS Jacililies. Knowledge and attitllde oj stlle/ents
were significantly different across school localities (low in 1'111'01). AI leasl 58. 1%,26% & 68.4% oj
students in Selamber, Hoha No.4 and Nigat responded respecliveiy Ihat hands should be washed
a}ier deJecation, and beJore eOlingJoods andji-lliis (p< 0.01). There was aFagile and signi(icC/ll/ly
varied knowledge & attitude of students among different grade levels towards the cleanness 0/ clear
water and critical times to lVash hands. More than 20% of the sampled students confirmed 10 eat less food when they caught with diarrhea
(p<0.05). Nearly 96% oJstudents claillled 10 wash hands wilh no visible dirl and 31.8% aJstlldents
said Ihat clear waleI' is always clean. More than 73% o/teachers mel1lioned that they did nol get
any training on school WaSH. The level 0/ allention given by schools and local government for
school WaSH was low. Financial capacity, inter-sector .and stakeholder cooperation and
harmonizaliqn were also \!ely weak. This study provides baseline illjol"lJIalion jor f uture
interventions and reveals fut ure research areas in these schqols for sanitation and hyg iene
edllcation program. The results show that sanilation and hygiene conditions oJlhe schools are in
lIeed oj appropriale system, dlle attention' and cOllllllitlllelll to ensure effective school WaSH.
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Keywords
Sanitation and Hygiene Program