Throughout the project, data showed girls from low income families and vulnerable backgrounds living in the most rural areas of the town missed school during their period because they can’t afford to buy sanitary pads, soap or underwear to manage their menstruation cycles. A recent study by the education department of Debre Birhan where we undertake a significant proportion of our programmes with local communities, found that girls miss on average between three to eight school days during their period.

Our School Wash programme

Our School WASH programme aims to increase access to water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for girls attending schools in the poorest areas of Debre Birhan, Ethiopia. The programme builds water points, girls toilets with washing facilities and provides sanitary pads, underwear, and soap to girls. It also provides training in menstrual hygiene management and life skills.

Every year we conduct our WASH programme in schools in most urgent need of our intervention. This year we are working with Cholle Primary School in Debre Birhan. Due to the expansion of the town, the number of students in the school has doubled in three years from 300 to 789 of which 53% are girls. The school has only one toilet facility shared by boys, girls and teachers in very poor condition. 

Safe WASH facilities increases school attendance rate for girls 

Although global primary and secondary school enrolment rates have increased for girls to reach gender parity (90% male, 89% female) completion rates for girls are lower in low-income countries where 63% of girls complete primary school compared to 67% of boys. This is even worse for girls in secondary school where the completion rate is 36% compared to 44% for boys.

Girls living in poverty face many barriers to education including menstruation. A recent study by UNESCO found that one in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa missed school while on their period equivalent to as much as 10% to 20% of school days.

Safe WASH facilities in schools have a positive impact on children, especially girls. It not only provides access to safe drinking water but also a secure school environment that can help protect children from illness, abuse and exclusion. It promotes and instills hygienic behaviours in children and their families. 

‘I used to spend a long time in a long queue waiting for my turn to use the toilets mainly at break time every school-day and in most of the cases the time allowed for break became over before I could use the toilet. This situation has changed, and now I am directly using the toilet without any queue.’  

A girl student from Andinet Primary School who benefited from our pilot WASH programme.

If you would like to support our School WASH programme, please DONATE HERE