The majority of schools in Haiti do not have separate bathrooms for boys and girls, if they have bathrooms at all. Most facilities have pit latrines rather than modern toilets, and a single room for boys and girls. Because of the lack of separation between the genders in the bathrooms, the older girls sometimes feel ashamed of their need to use feminine products in front of everyone.
The Community Driven Development (CDD) program, sponsored by USAID and implemented by OAS/PADF, brings together stakeholders in the community and helps them to prioritize their development needs. Through discussions within the National School of Tabarre, it was decided that the school would receive new toilets as one of several interventions and improvements to its communal areas.
At the National School of Tabarre, 56% of the students are girls, and the school hopes to improve its retention rate for female students, who typically do not stay in school as long as their male counterparts. In collaboration with the CDD program, the school has been able to replace their old pit latrines with modern toilets, improving levels of sanitation. Pit latrines are difficult to clean and contribute to water contamination and the spread of disease.
Being able to use modern and improved toilets makes me happy. It gives me a sense of dignity.
With the installation of the replacement toilets, 10 toilets were installed for the female students, while four toilets were installed for the male students, along with eight urinals. The CDD program also installed six toilets for use by the teachers and kindergarteners, along with three urinals. Previously the teachers only had two toilets. With the newly installed toilets for both boys and girls, the students can feel more comfortable and less ashamed when using the bathroom.
As good handwashing practices are vital for sanitation, particularly after using the toilet, the CDD program also repaired two handwashing stations, installed a third, and included two sinks along with each set of toilets, for a total of 13 taps. The water in these sinks will be treated with bleach for the safety of the children in case they drink it. In future quarters, a hygiene promotion will educate students and increase their awareness of the importance of proper handwashing. This campaign will utilize flyers, videos, and social media, and involve the parents to ensure proper hygiene practices are consistent both at school and at
home.
This is one of the toilet blocks for girls. The National School of Tabarre now has 20 operational modern toilets instead of the 5 pit latrines it had previously. This bathroom comes outfitted with a ramp for improved accessibility, and the girls’ bathrooms have feminine hygiene products available for use.
To facilitate access to truly potable water, the CDD program also installed a water kiosk in the school. This kiosk, which produces 1,500 gallons of water a day, will enable the school to sell clean water to the community. The profits can then be used to maintain the newly constructed sanitation facilities, ensuringthe maintenance and sustainability of the project activities. To create an effective business plan, the team will perform an assessment to determine how many gallons of water community members consume, how much they pay, etc.
