Clean Water Ethiopia Project #21028

Give Clean Water to Kids in Africa

by Splash

Project Report | Dec 9, 2019
Parents and teachers value clean water for kids!

By Cyndie Berg | Director of Business Development

By providing clean water, clean hands, and clean toilets, Splash will dramatically improve the well-being of 1,200 students and 87 teachers and staff at Nigat Kokeb Kindergarten and Primary Schools.

Ms. Alemye, the campus director at the schools since 2018, is especially pleased about Splash’s work to increase students’ handwashing with soap. She noted that the schools previously tried to improve kids’ hygiene behavior through education, but they lacked the appropriate infrastructure for handwashing. She is committed to change and excited about the work underway: “I believe that that the improvements in the school facilities will improve students’ academic performance, absenteeism, and health. I will strive to make that happen in our school!”

Parents are also excited about the changes. Wessen, a Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) member at Nigat Kokeb, appreciated the presentation Splash gave to the PTSA. She currently boils water for her children, including her son who attends the primary school. She is excited for the installation of Splash’s water filtration system that will ensure clean water is available for all the students.

Over the next five years, Splash’s primary goal is to reach 100% of government schools in Addis Ababa and Kolkata, benefitting more than one million children and some 1,600 schools across both cities with comprehensive WASH infrastructure and services, as well as multi-year WASH education and behavior change training. This will be a major improvement over the current conditions at schools in Ethiopia. By 2023, all government schools in Addis Ababa will have clean drinking water, handwashing stations, and clean toilets that are cost-effective and sustainable for the first time.

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Sep 12, 2019
How kids can be "change-agents" within a family

By Molly Paurs | Development Coordinator

A young girl in Addis Ababa (not Yakin)

Yakin is cute young girl who is learning at one of the government schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is a twelve-year grade 7 student. Yakin is famous in the school with her academic achievement. She has been scoring the highest mark in the school for the last preceding seven years.

Yakin is living with her mother, father and three sisters. Her elder sister, who was very cleaver like Yakin, was learning at the same school two years back. She got scholarship at private school and has left now.

Like most of the children att school, Yakin is from a poor family who are not educated, but strongly believe in education. They believe their children will lift the family up when they grow and own a job. Lakin, with a big vision and responsibility of helping her parents, wants to be a doctor.

Yakin is a Child Ambassador in her school. At break times she has so many things to do and loves the responsibility she took as a WaSH Ambassador. Yakin says, ”Our toilet was very disgusting. I don’t like to go there because it usually gets clogged, and have so many bad things written on the wall. But now it looks so fancy I love to go there! As a Child Ambassador, in the morning we share different health and hygiene messages and songs through mini media with my friends. We also guide students to use the facilities properly and put soap on the handwashing stations at break times.Our school is very improved!’’

Yakin also influenced her parents from the hygiene training she took from Splash. First, she showed her parents the ’glitter as germs’ game that displays how germs are transferred toone another through handshaking. Yakin explained that the game influenced her so much and also worked on her parents. Now, her elder sister started taking soap to school because their school has no such practice.

Thank you for making a difference in Yakin’s life!

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Jun 18, 2019
#MenstrualHealthDay2019

By Molly Parus | Business Development Coordinator

MHD Participants

Celebrated on May 28^th of every year, Menstrual Health Day (MHD) works brings together the voices and actions of non-profits, governments, individuals, private businesses, and the media to promote good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for all women and girls. More specifically, MHD aims to:

raise awareness and change negative social norms around MHM, and
engage decision-makers to increase the political priority and catalyze action for MHM, at global, national, and local levels[1]

This year Splash celebrated MHD on May 29^th at Addis Fana Primary School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The school is large with over 2,000 students and the objective of the day’s celebration was to educate students, teachers, and the larger community about menstrual health (MH) and to help break the taboo that typically surrounds the topic. Key guests included Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau staff, television and radio reporters, and other local government employees.

An opening speech by the school principal kicked-off the event with an additional short speech given by Splash’s Director of Ethiopia. His speech highlighted the cautionary story of “Dinknesh”, a young girl who received no education on the subject of menstruation prior to her own wedding. At a very young age she gave birth, only to die from infection. The audiences received the story with full attention. Additional activities included:

Music – girls from the Hygiene Club sang a famous song on the subject of “female confidence”
Drama – a skitdealing with MH was presented. The key message covered how menstruation is natural process and that parents need to be aware and educate daughters before their menarche, how to use sanitary pad, dispose of it properly, etc
Poems – two poems about menstruation were presented by a teacher and a student
Music and dancing – programs music and dancing made the event more colorful
Visit to new toilet block – key guests visited the brand-new Splash constructed, MH friendly toilet
Brochures – more than 600 brochures about MHdistributed to attendees
Ribbons – 800 pink ribbons were distributed

Thank you to everyone who helped make the event a success!

[1]https://menstrualhygieneday.org/about/about-mhday/

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