Saving Lives Through Wash

The lack of access to safe water and sanitation also infringes upon the rights of children. For example, schoolchildren may absent themselves from school just to travel long distances in search of water.

Also, in communities that have no reliable source of water, teachers often use schoolchildren to look for water for their households, which makes them miss school hours. 

 In view of this, UNICEF is working with its partners in the country to improve water supplies and sanitation facilities in schools and communities and promote safe hygiene practices. It is thus sinking boreholes in places where there are no access to potable water and helping to construct places of convenience for schoolchildren in some deprived areas.

Issues about water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are so important that a lot of schools have adopted the hand-washing campaign which explains to children the need for them to wash their hands with soap and water regularly, especially after visiting the toilet and before eating, to prevent them from being infected with diseases.