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Water and Sanitation
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A child washing her feet with new
water tap provided by CWS |
A recent UNICEF report highlighted that 83% of schools in Vietnam lack adequate water supply and hygienic latrines, seriously infringing student health and academic performance. CWS Water and Sanitation Program aims to alleviate this problem by increasing the overall standards of school sanitation and hygiene in Ba Vi District.
Ba Vi District is a mountainous area located in the far northwest of Ha Tay Province in northern Vietnam. The school system in the district is extensive, however, as students move through the school system, the numbers continuing to higher grade levels decreases rapidly. Less than 6% of students from Ba Vi District study at university level. About ten percent of the population are ethnic minority families living in remote mountain villages with limited infrastructure and economic opportunities.
Working in partnership with the Ba Vi District Education and Training Department, the Water and Sanitation in Schools program aims to increase the education quality of Ha Tay Ethnic Minority Boarding School, and in 34 pre-schools and primary schools in the mountain communes and poor communes of Ba Vi district.
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Activities include installing water tanks, drinking water filters, drilled and dug wells, and hygienic latrines. Emphasis is also placed on student health promotion through Information-Education-Communication (IEC) campaigns and direct training.
In 2005, project activities included:
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23 water and sanitation systems built24 classrooms repaired
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165 sets of tables and chairs, blackboards, bookshelves and keyboards purchased for classrooms
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760 books, 50 tables, and 100 chairs purchased for school libraries
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30 toy sets purchased for kindergartens
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Teacher training provided for 18 kindergartens
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Drinking water system and 4 water tanks built in the Ethnic Minority Boarding School
(EMBS)
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24 computers purchased for the foreign language laboratory
(EMBS)
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Greenhouse constructed for seedling cultivation (EMBS)
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Girls
washing their hands at a new water system
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Budding artists decorate their school's modern latrine
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Painting on the wall of new CWS latrine
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“The learning conditions in the school have improved and so has the students attitude to study. Thanks to their new desks and boards, and improved lighting in the classrooms, they are now studying harder and learning more. They are very happy with their new school.”
Nguyen Danh Ngo, Headmaster, Minh Chau primary school
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“CWS contribution has been very useful. The children enjoy playing with the new toys and singing songs along with the keyboard. The toilets are now very clean and the children love them.”
Nguyen Thi Hieu, Head teacher Minh Chau kindergarten
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Girls wash their hands in a new clean water system in Phuc Thuan primary school
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A
new latrine attracted more students |
Boys drinking fresh water from system supplied by CWS |
Hand
washing with a new water system |
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