You Can Give Kids in India Clean Water

Next month, Splash's Seattle office is hosting two of our leaders from India: Dora Chaudhuri, Country Director, and Manish Joshi, Director for Project WISE (WASH-in-Schools for Everyone).  They will spend valuable face time with colleagues to plan the launch of Project WISE, an initiative to reach every government school in Kolkata, India and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with WASH infrastructure (water storage, filtration systems, drinking and handwashing stations, and improved toilet facilities), behavior change programs for children and adults, and strengthened menstrual health services for girls aged 10 and above.

In Kolkata, Splash has reached 194 schools serving 55,985 children. Through Project WISE, we will reach approximately 450 schools serving nearly 500,000 children by 2023.

Splash's efforts in Kolkata will benefit even more children at schools like Paik Para Raja Manindra Memorial Primary & Higher Secondary Schools. These schools serve over 400 kids who previous to our intervention had to deal with broken taps, dirty, leaking toilets, and no access to hygiene education.

Because of your support, these schools now have a functional ultra-filtration system that removes 99.999% of the bacteria from their water. They have two drinking water stations with six taps and one handwashing station with two taps that help keep the kids healthy, as well as sparkly clean new sanitation facilities that are well-lit and provide privacy. Splash also helped form an active child cabinet and trained twenty focal teachers that have spread hygiene messaging across their schools. The fifty-three active student hygiene club members help keep their schools clean and encourage their peers to practice healthy behaviors.

This fall the highly motivated child cabinet decided to hold a rally with placards in the surrounding community. The placards carried messages about health and hygiene. They also spoke to members in the community to spread awareness about good health and hygiene practices. The awareness messages were aligned with the things they learned from Splash during their hygiene training.

This dedication and leadership would not have been possible without your support. Our goal is to create a shift in society where communities will expect, demand, and obtain safe water and decent toilets, as a basic human right. Efforts like these will help to eventually ensure access to safe, reliable, and affordable water and sanitation, cornerstones of a thriving and healthy community.

We are excited to expand our impact through the help of corporate, foundation, and government partners - and donors like you!

In 2018, Splash increased its impact in Kolkata, India to 55,985 kids served daily with clean water, clean hands, and clean toilets. Kids like Subhadra, a student at one of Kolkata's residential schools. 

The residential school system was started to serve urban, homeless kids. Often these children are from, extremely poor households or are orphaned. Many have also suffered abuse. These schools not only act as education centers, but also serve as protection systems for youth, especially girls. 

Subhadra, a tenth grader who started attending the Behala Balika Vidyapith residential school in Kolkata this year after mother could not afford her education expenses. Her mother is a government welfare program worker and her father is a truck driver. She has three sisters. The eldest is pursuing her nursing degree. Her middle sister is in twelfth grade and the youngest is in second grade. Subhadra and her sisters have had a difficult childhood. Her father is an alcoholic and has been abusive, making it hard for them to continue their studies.  

During her free time, she enjoys playing Kabaddi. Signing is also very close to her heart and she sings at school functions whenever she gets a chance. While her favorite subject is history, ultimately, Subhadra aims to be a police officer to curb violence against women, like the violence she has witnessed her mother endure. She dreams of working hard for her family and building a home for her mother, who has struggled all her life.  

Despite these distractions, Subhadra is a quick learner and is very responsible with the roles assigned to her. Her engagement as the Assistant Prime Minister of the Splash Hygiene Club at her school has been instrumental to her educational development and provided her with an avenue to develop leadership skills. Subhadra and the other students meet on a regular basis to discuss how to improve the hygiene conditions in the school and regularly conduct cleaning parties.  

She feels that the school has progressed a lot in terms of health and hygiene. The corridors and staircases are cleaner. There are more dustbins in the school and children do not litter the toilets and the classrooms like before. Under her leadership, the club has grown and has divided themselves into seven groups. Each group takes up a task each day. During weekends, they also clean the playground and the surroundings of the school.  

With support from donors like you, Subhadra has not only gained access to clean water, hands and toilets, but she has also gained valuable leadership skills.  

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