By Nirmal Adhikari
January 17, 2008

“Chanu Saru, a student of Shree Jana Kalyan Lower Secendary School, Rithhepani Nawalparasi, in class VIII and the president Junior Red Cross Circle, believes that Nepal Red Cross health and sanitation programme under International Friendship Project is helping at improving health conditions of the school children and the community people through education, capacity building and mutual friendship.

“There was only one toilet in the school and no one was using it because it was dirty. Now there are separate toilets for teachers and students and for boy students and girl students,” said Saru to the reporter.  She added, “There is a separate toilet now even for the disabled children constructed in the financial support of the International Friendship Project.”

All students make weekly routine and clean classrooms, school grounds and the toilets. They have been doing this work spontaneously. They have also been practicing this in their households. This has a direct impact in the community. "Because of the cleanliness, the cases of the mortality rate caused by diarrhea have decreased and the children’s attendance in the classroom has increased ", said Saru.

“All five hundred students of the school go to the community in the leadership of the Junior Red Cross with placard once a month to make public use toilets,” said Saru. After the implementation of the project, about 99% of 600 households have toilets.

Junior Red Cross Circle is funding the poor to make toilets and there are 50 toilets constructed in the community through the junior fund by 2007. Every student donates RS 10 a month to the circle and that fund is being used for school and community activities.

The project has benefited to the 600 households of the school nearby community. The junior volunteers have also conducted home to home programmes to aware the community people about health and sanitation. They also taught them to make jeevanjal for the diarrhea patients.

The juniors have also been making the community people aware through street dramas. Such dramas are usually performed during festivals.

The school children have got basic first aids knowledge. “As I took health and sanitation training three years ago in Parasi, I have been practicing it in my school", said Saru. “Awareness about health and sanitation has made the students disciplined and cooperative.” She added.

Health and sanitation activities have changed people’s attitude towards health. Community people are using clean drinking water. They are aware that they should keep water clean from the water source to the consumers’ glass.

The International Friendship Project has benefited about 85,000 people, including school children, regarding health and sanitation in Tanahun, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Lamjung, Makawanpur and Rupandehi districts in the financial support of the Japanese Red Cross since 2004. It has been supporting schools to make toilets and fit water taps and water tanks. Besides, it has also organized a number of health and sanitation related trainings.