03/07/2026
WasH in Schools - Beyond Boundaries
Access to sanitation infrastructure alone is not enough, accurate knowledge and advocacy is much needed for the better application.
Apart from building period-friendly toilets, the Sulabh Sanitation Club, in association with India-Sri Lanka Foundation, conducted WASH sensitization programmes in schools of Sri Lanka. Around 200 students and 10 teachers from were engaged.
This initiative is first of its kind and symbolizes Sulabh's first footsteps in Sri Lanka which addressed critical yet often neglected subjects of school sanitation and menstrual hygiene management. Through interactive activities, fun games, music and dance, participants explored the importance of clean and well maintained washrooms, personal hygiene and proper handwashing, effective waste management , menstrual hygiene management and community leadership. Adolescent health was also discussed with young boys and girls with special emphasis on menstrual hygiene.
The training transformed learning into action. The students gained practical insights into maintaining sanitation facilities and keeping their school surroundings clean and healthy.
One of the key highlights of this programme was the formation of School Sanitation Clubs, with student leaders selected from each school to take the charge of sanitation and hygiene. By creating such young WASH warriors, the program aims to foster the culture of responsibility, teamwork,leadership and peer to peer learning that will continue long after such events.
Beyond empowering students, Sulabh' s capacity building approach also equipped teachers with the knowledge and tools necessary to reinforce positive hygiene behaviours, guide the sanitation club leaders, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme's impact.
