Safe Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) for Rural Schools

The Challenge

Uganda continues to face substantial School WaSH gaps. The country's National Adaptation Plan reports that only 54.77% of public schools have basic drinking-water services, underlining the need for practical school and community solutions.

• Children walking long distances to fetch water before, during, or after school
• Dependence on swamps, unprotected sources, or unreliable water points
• Limited resources for the routine maintenance and repair of water systems

Before & After, Destiny Primary School

What Support Includes

We help schools and communities move closer to reliable, safe water for drinking and daily school use. Depending on the school's location, hydrogeological assessment, and available funding, support may include:

• Borehole drilling or rehabilitation
• Protected wells or improvement of existing water points
• Rainwater harvesting systems and water-storage tanks
• Filtration, treatment, or safe storage systems
• Water points linked to schools and surrounding communities
• Handwashing water access near latrines and eating areas
• Training on safe water collection, handling, treatment, and storage

A basic drinking-water service means that water from an improved source is available at the school. Childcare seeks solutions that are technically appropriate, accessible to children, and supported by a maintenance plan. Source: UNICEF JMP, WASH in Schools

The Challenge

Uganda's National Adaptation Plan reports that only 38.55% of public schools have basic hygiene services, underlining the need for practical school and community solutions.

• Unsafe, poorly constructed, overcrowded, or unhygienic pit latrines
• Lack of water for handwashing, cleaning, and menstrual hygiene management
• Limited privacy and dignity for adolescent girls
• Weak hygiene habits where water, soap, and practical facilities are unavailable

Before & After, Rwampara Primary School

Safe Sanitation & Handwashing

We support schools to improve toilets and sanitation systems so children can learn in a healthy and dignified environment. Support may include:

• Construction or rehabilitation of safe, ventilated, child-friendly latrines
• Separate, private facilities for girls and boys
• Accessibility features where feasible for children with disabilities
• Handwashing stations with water and soap or ash
• Cleaning equipment and maintenance arrangements
• Waste-disposal and environmental hygiene measures
• School kitchen and food-preparation hygiene improvements

Uganda's School WaSH guidance includes gender-specific sanitation ratios, including a stated interim standard of 40 girls per toilet and 50 boys per toilet. Childcare uses these principles to guide discussions with schools and funders while tailoring projects to local conditions.

Hygiene, Health & Menstrual Dignity

A facility alone cannot create lasting change. Children, teachers, and school leaders need practical knowledge, routines, and supplies to keep facilities clean and use them safely. We support:

• School hygiene and health clubs
• Handwashing education at critical times
• Safe water handling and waterborne-disease prevention
• Toilet use, cleaning, and maintenance training
• Menstrual health education and reusable sanitary-pad support for girls
• Community sessions for caregivers and parents
• Training for school health patrons, teachers, and student leaders

Research on WaSH in schools finds that combining water treatment with hygiene and sanitation interventions can reduce illness and improve hygiene knowledge and practices. It is also associated with gains in enrollment and gender parity. Source: PMC research review

In Pictures

Commissioning of the Water Project

Impact of Project Grants

Our Rotary-Supported Water Project

Before & After, Destiny Primary School

In 2021, the Rotary Club of Greater Van Nuys, USA, donated $8,500, our first grant as an organization, to help Childcare provide safe drinking water for children at Destiny Primary School.

Before the project, learners were fetching water from a nearby swamp approximately two miles away. This placed a heavy burden on children and exposed them to unsafe water sources.

The project represented an important step forward for the school and the surrounding community.

Six Years On: Challenges & Next Steps

The water well now requires refinement because of maintenance and technical issues that have affected its long-term reliability. We choose to report this openly because accountability means sharing both achievements and challenges. Childcare is now seeking technical and funding partners to assess and refine the water system at Destiny Primary School. Depending on the technical assessment, the solution may involve rehabilitation of the existing water point, improved pumping or storage, a redesigned borehole solution, or another reliable and maintainable water system. The next phase will include:

• An independent technical assessment of the existing water system
• A clear rehabilitation or redesign plan with an itemized budget
• Community and school management involvement from planning through handover
• A trained water-user or school maintenance committee
• A maintenance plan, including routine checks, reporting, and repair responsibilities
• Water-quality testing where applicable
• Donor reporting through photos, expenditure records, progress updates, and completion documentation

We do not regard a water facility as complete when construction ends. It is complete when children can reliably access safe water and the school has the capacity to maintain the system.