All schools in the ‘Rewrite the Future’ program suffer from lack of sanitary facilities. Because of conflicts or war the facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Children aren’t able to use them or only in a very bad and unhealthy condition.

One of the recurring concerns of community members and the students themselves is the lack of latrines and water points around the school. In fact, the lack of latrines and water points renders children more vulnerable to infections as well as exposing them to dangers, not only snakes but also sexual abuse when they must go to the bathroom “in the bush” outside of school grounds.

Keeping girls in school

All studies done on girls’ education show that the existence of latrines in the school environment is a factor that contributes to keeping girls in school. It is, in fact, known that girls and boys go through physical and psychological changes due to the entry into puberty.  During this period, girls normally start menstruating and they need safe and secure spaces, such as latrines, not only for hygienic reasons but for intimate reasons and for comfort. For this reason it is not uncommon that girls when they reach puberty drop out of school if it does not have the basic infrastructure such as latrines that can meet their needs. It is also well known that women in many developing countries develop infections of the urinary bladder system or even kidney failure because they cannot go out in the bush as easily as men and for this reason often wait too long, normally till they can hide in the dark,  before they go to the bathroom.  Also smaller girls that Save the Children has talked to are reluctant to going out in the bush as they are afraid of assaults when they move away from the school to meet their physical needs. Children have made it very clear to Save the Children how important it is for them to have enough facilities that function.

Addressing sanitation together

Initial and Save the Children are going to address this problem together. The activities will initially consist of building latrines, creating water points and supplying soap.

Initial and Save the Children have started the first combined project regarding the lack of sanitary facilities, in Ivory Coast.