Health for Schoolchildren and Their Families

Water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and food security in Ganzourgou

In Ganzourgou Province, in the Central Plateau region of Burkina Faso, access to safe drinking water and sanitation remains a challenge. The lack of hygiene and sanitation facilities means that people are forced to relieve themselves in fields or bushes, often unaware that they are endangering the health of their community. In some areas, the soil is very unstable and swampy, causing latrines to collapse and people to defecate in the forest. The people living in these areas need technical assistance to better locate and build structures that are adapted to their land.

Women, girls and especially children under the age of five are at risk due to the lack of hygiene in their environment. Diseases caused by poor hygiene and malnutrition account for almost a third of all registered illnesses, affecting more than one in three people.

Helvetas has been working in the communities of Salogo, Zam and Kogho with local authorities and local organisations to improve the health and quality of life of the population.

The LAAFIA III project (which means "health") starts in schools and communities and promotes good hygiene and sanitation practices for families, as well as good nutrition.

With the "Blue School" approach, students have access to clean water, functional and well-maintained latrines and adequate food. Children learn why hygiene is important and become ambassadors of good practices in their families.

They often use a latrine for the first time in school. They also learn to wash their hands regularly. When they return home, they talk about latrines, hand washing, soap, germs and ways to keep water clean.

Access to water also helps to establish school gardens, where organic vegetables are grown to improve the quality of the school's food. Students have the opportunity to participate in all activities: planting lettuce, aubergines or cabbage, watering and watching the plants grow. This is a good opportunity to learn about biology and ecology.

Actions to improve the lives of young girls at school

Helvetas also promotes awareness of menstrual hygiene among students. Menstruation is still a taboo subject, so girls for shame or lack of protection and adequate facilities often do not go to school during their period.  
The Laafia project, with the support of teachers, women and girl leaders, sensitizes all students on the subject. It adopts and supports young girls with exchange meetings on good menstrual hygiene practices at school and at home.
 Young girls who already have their periods receive menstrual hygiene management kits called "Palobdé". These kits are reusable.

Helvetas also sensitizes people in the villages, how much their health depends on family sanitation and a clean environment. This work consists of implementing the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) process.

The first step is a collective walk in the village and surrounding area so that people can see the level of fecal contamination and its consequences. It is a powerful experience that triggers disgust and shame and makes families aware of the importance of having a latrine. Other good practices such as handwashing with soap, storing pots in a clean place, and yard maintenance are also adopted. The process is accompanied and monitored by the Village Sanitation Committee (VSC), which consists of representatives from each neighborhood. Their task is to raise awareness among the population and ensure that the commitments made by the heads of households are fulfilled.

Finally, the VSC organizes the community evaluation by going around the households to check that certain criteria in terms of hygiene and cleanliness are respected so that the village can be declared FDAL (Free of Open Defecation). This is a very important and eagerly awaited moment for the community, celebrated by the display of the "victory flag" during an official ceremony with dancing and music. This celebration, introduced by Helvetas, has greatly contributed to motivating communities to commit to better health.

Many health problems are linked to the consumption of unclean drinking water. For this reason, the LAAFIA project trains women's groups in the production of chlorinated water, so that they can raise awareness of the need to purify drinking water and create employment for themselves by selling their product in the villages. During these visits, they also play an important role in educating people about behaviours that reduce the risk of disease.