World Environment Day is commemorated annually on 5^th June and provides a global platform for governments, organizations, institutions, and communities to come together to address environmental challenges and advance sustainable development. The SWSC Project Team of Tdh Bangladesh continuously collaborates with local government representatives and frontline healthcare providers to promote community-led environmental stewardship and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. As a part of this effort World Environment Day was celebrated on 5 June 2026 at Maheshkhaliya Para Community Clinic and within the surrounding host community. The event was organized in line with this year’s global theme:

“Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”

The celebration aimed to raise awareness of environmental challenges and inspire community members to adopt practical and sustainable actions to protect the environment. It also strengthened collaboration between community members and key local system actors, demonstrating how local institutions can work together to promote environmental awareness and strengthen community resilience to climate change.

Key Messages Highlighted During the Event

Environmental degradation poses significant risks to both ecosystems and human well-being. In the project area, communities are increasingly experiencing the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, water scarcity, and increasing pressure on agriculture and public health. These challenges highlight the importance of collective action to conserve natural resources, promote renewable energy, protect forests and biodiversity and encourage environmentally responsible practices to build more resilient communities.

Awareness Activities

The event brought together community members alongside key local system actors, including the Community Health Care Provider (CHCP)[1] and an elected local government representative (Union Parishad[2] Member).  

Through interactive awareness sessions and community discussions, these local system actors shared practical knowledge and encouraged participants to become active partners in protecting the environment and building climate-resilient communities.

The Community Health Care Provider delivered an informative session highlighting:

• The urgent need to address climate change and its impact on community health;
• The importance of tree planting to improve air quality, reduce heat, and maintain ecological balance;
• The harmful effects of single-use polythene on soil, water bodies, drainage systems, and public health; and
• The role of every individual and household.

Ms. Momtaz Begum, Union Parishad member (elected local government), emphasized the important role of local government in mobilizing communities and supporting environmental protection initiatives.

She highlighted the global impacts and local consequences of climate change and the resulting challenges for livelihoods, agriculture, and public health. She stressed that these challenges require collective action and close collaboration among community members, local government institutions, and healthcare service providers.

Both speakers encouraged participants to adopt environmentally friendly practices in their daily lives to help create a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future for the next generation:

• Planting and caring for trees
• Reducing plastic use e.g. by carrying reusable bags instead of single-use plastic bags
• Segregating household waste and disposing of it responsibly
• Conserving water and avoiding unnecessary wastage
• Protecting local natural resources
• Keeping homes and surrounding public spaces clean
• Participating in community-led environmental and cleanliness initiatives

Conclusion of the event

The active involvement of local system actors enhanced the credibility of the awareness sessions and reinforced community ownership of environmental protection efforts. Participants actively participated in the sessions and demonstrated an increased understanding of the local impacts of climate change. Further, they expressed their commitment to adopting environmentally responsible practices, including reducing plastic use, planting trees, conserving water, managing waste responsibly, and maintaining cleaner surroundings. The event concluded with a collective pledge from participants to continue working together toward a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future.

[1] The Community Health Care Provider (CHCP) is a government frontline healthcare professional responsible for delivering primary healthcare services while promoting preventive health education and community awareness.

[2] The Union Parishad is the lowest tier of local government in Bangladesh, and its elected representatives play a vital role in local governance, community development, and public awareness initiatives.

When the “Blue School” concept, one of the signature approaches of the Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium, was presented to education stakeholders in the Alibori Department of Benin, an alignment exercise was undertaken. Teachers and supervisory staff came together in a workshop to identify which subject areas in the Beninese curriculum could accommodate Blue School themes (drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, gardening, reforestation, etc.). They successfully identified three main subject areas: French, Science and Technology Education, and Social Education. However, the theme of “growth and change” — which includes menstrual health and hygiene management (MHH) — is not aligned with the primary school curriculum. Given the importance of the topic as highlighted by school stakeholders, the supervisory team decided that menstrual hygiene would be addressed through community women. This marked the beginning of the project’s facilitation of educational discussion sessions on MHH.

Community Liaison Women (FRC from Femmes relais communautaires)[1] work on an almost voluntary basis to facilitate these sessions, supported by teachers and school principals who mobilise children on non-school days (Wednesdays and Saturdays). Having become role models for girls, the FRCs were trained to make reusable sanitary pads — a skill they subsequently passed on to the boys and girls participating in the educational sessions. Today, teachers and parents are pleased to see their children breaking taboos around menstruation; and it is with pride that girls own their menstrual cycles and are ready to share their knowledge with members of their community. One such girl is Oubéda, a pupil at the Ouagou public primary school in the commune of Banikoara.

SABI GBESSA Oubéda participates in the discussion sessions and training facilitated by her village’s FRC on the proper management of menstrual hygiene in school settings. Curious, motivated and attentive, she quickly grasps the significance of what she is learning — not only for herself, but for all those around her. In Year 5 of primary school, Oubéda did far more than learn to make reusable sanitary pads; she became the first link in a chain of knowledge transmission at the heart of her own family.

From knowledge to action

Back home, Oubéda becomes aware of a silent reality: her older sister, a trainee seamstress, faces real difficulties every month managing her periods, due to a lack of adequate information and accessible means. She decides to act. On her own initiative, she organises a full repeat performance of the training for her older sister, explaining step by step the principles of menstrual hygiene, the advantages of reusable protection, and the manufacturing techniques learned at school. Together, they make six sanitary pads from locally available materials (pieces of fabric, towels, thread and needles). Oubéda returns to school with one of the pads made with her sister and proudly holds it up to the FRC and the other schoolgirls. The FRC is equally proud to learn that her work has made a difference: “I was happy when she came back to show the pad; I understood that the training I gave had been mastered, because I was not at their home with Oubéda when she replicated the pad-making with her sister.”

An immediate and lasting impact

Thanks to this sisterly support, Oubéda’s older sister is now able to manage her periods with dignity and confidence, while reducing the costs associated with purchasing disposable protection.

Thanks to this training, I will now be able to manage my periods safely without anyone knowing. Not only will the costs of buying disposable pads be reduced, but that money will serve me for other useful purposes”,

shares Oubéda’s older sister, an indirect beneficiary of the training.

This experience is one of many in which pupils have replicated within their families what they have learned, creating a ripple effect in their communities. Similar replication has been observed for school gardens, handwashing stations (tippy-taps) and latrines — all of which have been built by households under the leadership of schoolchildren. This demonstrates that the Blue School approach is a channel through which children can truly become agents of behaviour change. Through Oubéda’s initiative, we see the full expression of systems strengthening — with the entire chain of actors functioning together and contributing durably to the health, dignity and empowerment of girls and women.

[1] Community Liaison Women (FRC) are an official mechanism of Benin’s Ministry of Health; they are formally identified and deployed in villages to carry out the Ministry’s routine activities (vaccination, malaria, polio, etc.)

The aim of the toolkit is to support school and HCF stakeholders to determine, in a straightforward way, the financial resources needed to achieve and sustain WASH services.

Determining costing data for WASH services in institutions can support advocacy efforts and policy implementation.

The costing toolkit consists of an Excel based worksheet and a user guide. It is available for HCFs and schools, in English and French and can be downloaded for free from the SWSC homepage. It considers costs across the entire lifespan of WASH services, including installation, operation and maintenance, trainings, decommissioning and disposal. The user guide explains each tab of the worksheet in detail and answers a few frequently asked questions at the end. When using the toolkit, please acknowledge UNC and SWSC as indicated on the last page of the guide and contact us in case of questions.

Several SWSC projects have applied the tool kit so far and are building up experience with it, also tracking concrete results obtained through implementation. Some reflections from the piloting:

Nepal: The project team conducted costing and advocacy activities in Thakurbaba municipality, with the aim of developing a budget and operations and maintenance policy for WASH in healthcare facilities in partnership with the municipal government. Cost findings were used to prepare annual budgets recommended to achieve and maintain basic access, which were presented to municipal government and incorporated into an operations and maintenance policy. To-date, the municipality has adopted the policy and established a revolving fund for repair and maintenance of infrastructures, and an additional budget per facility for discretionary WASH spending. Advocacy at the national level for WASH in HCF is currently being championed by the municipality. Findings from Thakurbaba are being used to inform development of a nationally costed plan for universal access.

Bangladesh: The project team conducted costing for 17 HCF. It provided practical evidence on the actual financial requirements for implementing and sustaining quality WASH services. Key cost drivers were infrastructure upgrades, operation and maintenance (O&M), infection prevention and control (IPC) supplies, and staffing needs. The findings are a strong basis for improved planning, budgeting, and advocacy at facility and district levels. Up to now, the results have supported initial community-level resource mobilization, with locally collected funds being used for routine WASH maintenance, including minor repairs and essential IPC supplies. When local government institutions become fully operational after the local elections, the costing evidence will be used to advocate for the integration of WASH financing into routine health-sector budgeting.

Other SWSC projects are at various stage of implementing the costing tool with authorities aiming to finalise this year. In Mali, Burkina Faso and India, the tool for healthcare facilities has been applied and the tool for schools has been used in Nepal, Cambodia and Mozambique.

WASH in Healthcare Facilities: Advocating on Shifting Ground

A clinic without safe water, or a proper way to dispose of human waste and medical sharps, cannot practise basic infection prevention and control. In Burkina Faso, the security situation has grown increasingly volatile, and healthcare facilities have been negatively impacted. Many internally displaced persons sites have existed for more than six years, as have the healthcare facilities serving them. As shared at the SWSC Interregional Workshop in Naivasha, WASH programs focused purely on emergencies or long-term development are insufficient in these situations. Effective advocacy for WASH in these healthcare facilities must continue regardless of the security situation, and requires a dual-purpose request: infrastructure must meet immediate needs and contribute to longer-term development. The Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) nexus should be a daily operational reality, and WASH advocacy which includes both humanitarian and development needs will be more effective.

In Ethiopia, initiatives have shown what integrated HDP nexus programming looks like for WASH in healthcare facilities. With over 25,500 healthcare facilities in the country, the vast majority of those requiring significant WASH improvements, and shifting political and security sands, the challenge is enormous. Linking advocacy with emergency actions, development, and peacebuilding moves beyond short-term service delivery towards resilient, sustainable WASH systems. Ongoing advocacy for flexible, multiyear financing is critical — rigid, short-term funding cannot keep pace with the shocks that fragile socio-political contexts produce.

WASH in Schools: Building Resilience Through Education

Schools are where the next generation learns how to read and write, and also about hygiene behaviours and environmental practices that last a lifetime (this is the vision of Blue Schools, a signature approach of the SWSC). If WASH advocacy for schools falters because of political instability, the consequences may affect a whole generation and ripple forward for decades. In South Sudan, where political and security fragility has been constant, SWSC teams have worked throughout to prioritise water quality by training government water technicians and securing agreements for quarterly monitoring. These initial wins can be converted to longterm progress by continuing to invest in advocacy even in difficult times, and documenting such advocacy successes so that when the security situation changes, and/or staff rotate, institutional memory keeps the initial investments in place.

In Mozambique, the SWSC team discovered that the superficial explanation for a lack of WASH in school systems was nearly always “We don’t have money.” But patient, persistent advocacy and questioning — why?, then why? again — revealed deeper root causes that could actually be addressed through more effective advocacy. This kind of tenacious engagement based on difficult lines of questioning is precisely what fragile settings demand.

WASH in Communities: The Long Game of Trust and Persistence

Community-level WASH advocacy depends on relationships that take years to build and can be disrupted in days. In Bangladesh, the protracted Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazar illustrates both the difficulty and the necessity of consistent advocacy. An SWSC team supports around 235,000 Rohingya and host community members, deliberately serving both displaced and host populations — because responses that overlook host communities risk generating tensions. Advocacy needs to be centered on the concrete needs of both refugees and host communities, and needs to continue throughout crises sometimes extending over multiple years.

In Madagascar, sustained systems strengthening work and ongoing advocacy efforts during challenging political periods enhanced the trusted relationship between the SWSC team and the local mayor. The result: the mayor began reaching out to the project team for advice, and women’s groups trained as advocacy messengers brought their requests directly to elected officials. This shows what becomes possible when advocacy is patient, inclusive and grounded in genuine partnership.

The Secrets to Success

The SWSC’s collective experience, as highlighted during the recent Interregional Workshop in Kenya, points to several practical secrets for sustaining WASH advocacy when situations are fluid.

First, work with multiple advocacy targets simultaneously. In many SWSC countries, senior ministry officials may lose their positions quickly, forcing advocacy teams to pivot on the fly. If an advocacy strategy depends on a single minister or district officer, it is fragile by design. Teams must engage both elected political leaders and professional civil service leaders — the career technical experts who often remain when political appointees rotate. In Nepal, the advocacy project team mitigates the risk of turnover by working not with one person in government but with entire teams, including potential successors to current officials. Formal documentation of meetings, policies and agreements also ensures continuity when leadership changes.

Second, build trust before you need it. As discussed in Kenya, moving from an elevator pitch to sharing tea, coffee, or even a meal with advocacy targets deepens relationships and creates space for real conversation. One cannot surge trust; it requires a longterm investment. Trusted, long-term relationships make advocacy successes more likely and make it easier to secure written commitments after verbal ones. In Mali, and elsewhere, laws take time to change and budget commitments are hard to secure within a finite project cycle, so advocacy over the long-term is not optional.

Third, build coalitions. Working with UNICEF, WHO and other organisations who share the same advocacy goals helps ensure efforts are sustained even when one organisation faces constraints. In Cambodia, consistent advocacy collaboration with GIZ and UNICEF led to actual changes in national guidelines for WASH in schools. Perhaps more importantly, ongoing partnerships with local civil society ensure advocacy continues beyond any single SWSC project phase.

Fourth, celebrate and document successes. When an advocacy win happens — however small — it should be documented, shared, and celebrated. This builds evidence, motivates teams in difficult conditions, and strengthens the case for continued advocacy investment.

Rolling with the Punches

Many SWSC countries will remain in fragile situations for the near- medium-term. Governments will change, conflicts will flare, and personnel will rotate. SWSC advocacy teams and their local system actors must learn to roll with the punches — adapting strategies, diversifying targets, documenting progress, and nurturing the relationships that make change possible. Stepping back from advocacy until conditions improve is not an option when healthcare facilities lack clean water, schools lack safe sanitation, and communities drink water that makes them ill. The evidence from the SWSC’s twelve countries is clear: sustained, flexible, relationship-based advocacy works, even in the most difficult settings.

Author: John Oldfield, SWSC Advocacy Advisor

This year, the global spotlight is on Water and Gender emphasizing safe water and sanitation as fundamental human rights and highlighting the essential role of women’s leadership in water decision making. It also draws attention to the disproportionate impacts of water scarcity and poor sanitation on women and girls.

Water services must withstand climate change and meet everyone’s needs. A transformative, rights-based approach is necessary to solve the water crisis. With an approach where women’s voices, leadership and agency are fully recognized, services become more inclusive, sustainable and effective. Investing in women’s leadership will make water a force for a healthier, more prosperous, gender-equal future that will benefit us all.

Access to water is a right for everyone. Girls and boys must participate equally and work together to help conserve it.”

SINGBO Augustin, Head of the Kandi school district, Benin

The Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium wishes to continue to contribute to make such changes happen on institutional and community level.

Women and children at the heart of efforts in Madagascar to ensure universal access to safe drinking water

In Madagascar the SWSC project supported World water day celebrations in two schools and surrounding villages where – Andranotantely and Motombe. Several activities took place: educational advisors from the School District provided support to teachers about practical exercises on drinking water and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) using the Blue Schools kit. Secondly, the students clubs put their WASH knowledge into practice by raising awareness among community members. Among other things, they demonstrated various methods of water treatment, good practices for water conservation, and how to maintain water safety from the tap to the home. In addition, the children also spoke about the water cycle and resource conservation through good environmental practices and reforestation.

In addition, women’s associations shared personal testimonies in schools and communities advocating for equal access to drinking water services for all sections of the population. They highlighted the responsibilities of the municipalities in covering water costs for schools, as well as the commitment of all stakeholders, including school district officials, to ensuring the sustainability of infrastructure.

Lastly, the borehole equipped with a solar pump in the village of Motombe was inaugurated by the municipality of Amborompotsy. The municipality officially took over the monitoring of the facility but has delegated the management and maintenance to a small local company specialising in drinking water infrastructure management. The mayor raised awareness among users about payment for water as a crucial factor for sustainability while announcing that subsidised water vouchers will be provided to the most vulnerable community members to ensure equal and equitable access to drinking water services in the community.

Benin’s focus on equal rights and responsibilities

To mark World Water Day (WWD), an official celebration was organised on 18^th March 2026 at the Bordérou State Primary School in the municipality of Kandi. The event was held under the slogan ‘Water, a shared responsibility: Girls and boys, equal rights!’ and brought together administrative authorities, stakeholders from the education sector, technical services, community leaders, surrounding communities and students to discuss the challenges of equitable access to water and the promotion of hygiene. Several speeches were given by the head of School district, the president of the Kandi Drinking Water Consumers Association, and representatives of the Departmental Directorate of Water, Energy and Mines and the Kandi town hall. They highlighted many different aspects of water such as access to drinking water as a fundamental human right, the importance of community commitment to ensure longevity of water infrastructure and the chance of each individual to become ambassadors for good water-related practices.

When girls and boys work together to protect water, they help build a healthier, fairer and more inclusive future.”

AÏCTCHEDOU Y. Jonathan, representative of the Departmental Director of Water, Energy and Mines (DDEEM) for Alibori.

Students played a major role in the event’s success through artistic performances such as themed sketches, songs and poetry recitals which raised awareness among the audience, in a fun and accessible way, of the links between water, hygiene, gender equality and human dignity.

A highlight of the celebration was when participants – including officials, community leaders, teachers, parents and students– made public commitments to protect water points, maintain infrastructure and adopt responsible behaviours regarding hygiene and sanitation.

• The schoolchildren pledged to adopt good hygiene practices, protect water points and pass on awareness messages to their families.
• Parents committed to supporting their children in applying good practices and to actively participating in community health initiatives.
• Teachers committed to raising pupils’ awareness and leading educational activities related to water, hygiene and sanitation.

This collective mobilisation demonstrates the commitment of local stakeholders to making equitable access to water and sanitation a reality.

Discovering a vital new angle in India

Climate change isn’t a distant headline for the Sundarban area of India. It is the reason why saltwater is breaching embankments and the cyclonic surges turn freshwater ponds into brine. The resulting deterioration of water quality is becoming an enormous challenge (equivalent to an increasing scarcity of safe water).

• Salinity Surge: total dissolved solid (TDS) levels frequently skyrocket past the permissible 500 mg/L limit rendering sterilisation procedure ineffective and reducing the efficiency of handwashing with soap – two of the most important components for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).
• Maternal Health at Risk: a direct link between saline drinking water and increased rates of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia was observed[1], making safe water a cornerstone of reproductive justice.
• Ever present silent Threats: localized arsenic and iron contamination coupled with microbial contamination are constant invisible enemies.

District and block health authorities in the region joined forces with medical professionals and researchers for a landmark workshop on the occasion of World Water Day. It was a collaborative deep-dive for the entire workforce of the HCFs including cleaning personnel, clerical staff, lab technicians, doctors and community health workers on the above challenges. The key takeaways from the session were the following:

• Beyond the Tap: Shifting the focus from “how much water do we have?” to “how safe is the water we use?”
• Chemical Education: Understanding the impact of chemical water quality like high TDS, fluoride and arsenic on patients
• Capacity Building: Empowering local staff to manage and monitor water quality at the facility level, ensuring that infrastructure damage from cyclones doesn’t mean a total collapse of hygiene.

The insights gained from the workshop have illuminated a vital new angle: The institutionalization of water safety through human capital. We are moving beyond the “bricks and mortar” of infrastructure to focus on the expertise of the people who make these facilities run to provide safe water; prioritizing the resource mobilization from local actors for sustaining the water quality at HCFs is key. A summary has been recorded in a video: https://youtube.com/shorts/ceHLlRBMFQg

South Sudan joyfully celebrates World Water Day

The South Sudan Red Cross Society was supporting the commemoration of World Water Day at Kudwo Primary School in Lokiliri Payam. The celebration brought together a diverse and enthusiastic group of participants, including pupils, community leaders, Water Management Committees, women and youth groups, Hand Pump Mechanics, and government officials from the education, WASH, health, and environmental departments at the payam level (second lowest administrative dvision in South Sudan). Their collective presence demonstrated strong community collaboration aimed at ensuring access to clean water and creating a healthier learning environment for children.

Throughout the celebrations, participants engaged in a wide range of interactive hygiene awareness activities. Pupils showcased their understanding and creativity through a lively handwashing competition, demonstrating proper hygiene techniques essential for preventing waterborne diseases and demonstration of menstrual hygiene kits. Students also presented drama highlighting the value of clean water, sanitation, and environmental protection—messages that resonated strongly with both children and adults.

To reinforce practical action, attendees participated in environmental cleaning exercises around the school’s water points. This hands-on activity underscored the direct connection between a clean environment and sustainable access to safe water. The event concluded with joyful singing and dancing, creating an atmosphere of unity, celebration, and community pride.

Authors and photo credits: Taratra and Fastenaktion Madagascar, Helvetas Benin, Terre des hommes India and South Sudan Red Cross and Swiss Red Cross

[1] Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266325680_Salinity_in_Drinking_Water_and_the_Risk_of_PreEclampsia_and_Gestational_Hypertension_in_Coastal_Bangladesh_A_Case-Control_Study

Oborso Primary School, located in the Walabu Lita District of the East Borena Zone, is one of 16 schools selected for Phase IV of the Mainstreaming Blue Schools Project of Caritas Switzerland in Ethiopia. The school currently has a total of 1,410 students (704 male and 706 female) and is located just 1 kilometre from the district town of Oborso, and approximately 160 kilometres from the zonal town. Despite its location, the school has long faced challenges related to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, particularly in the area of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH).

Due to these challenges, Oborso Primary School was identified as a high-priority site by government officials, a decision later confirmed by Caritas Switzerland (CACH) through a rapid assessment and focus group discussions (FGDs) with teachers, students, and Parent-Teacher-Student Associations (PTSAs) during a direct field visit.

The Gender Club and Its MHH Activities

Recognizing the urgency, Caritas Switzerland prioritized the school under Phase IV of its intervention, focusing on a system-strengthening approach to create sustainable, school-led WASH and MHH solutions.

First, the school’s existing, inactive gender club was revitalized. Then Caritas Switzerland organized a targeted training for selected gender club members. Three teachers and five students were chosen based on leadership potential and received a two-day training on menstrual hygiene, health implications of poor practices, and how to challenge stigma and silence around menstruation. Knowledge was later transferred to all students and teachers through the trainees.

During the training, participants discussed school-level challenges, including students missing school during their menstrual cycles due to lack of menstrual products, inadequate private toilets, and social taboos. A key component of the training was also how to sustainably generate income to support MHH needs. Inspired by the training, they developed a practical and comprehensive action plan.

Their first step was to reorganize the gender club by appointing motivated student leaders and supportive teachers. The second was to build upon income-generating activities that had previously been attempted but lacked direction. The third goal was to create multiple income streams to support the purchase of menstrual pads and hygiene kits for students.

One of the major strategies was introducing a voluntary monthly contribution system. Students from grades 5 to 8 were encouraged to contribute 10 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) each month (equal to 0.068CHF). Contributions were entirely optional for students who couldn’t afford to pay; those students were never pressured or stigmatized.

Alongside student contributions, the gender club established a small business initiative by selling shop items such as biscuits, exercise books, chewing gums, bottle soft drinks/juices, candies, pens, soap, and menstrual pads within the school. To launch this effort, the club borrowed goods worth 10,000 ETB (68.4 CHF) from local shop owners on the agreement that the items would be repaid after sales. This trust-based model worked well: profits were made, debts repaid, and funds reinvested into further business cycles.

The club also launched a more innovative income-generating initiative by buying an ox for fattening at the school and resale. The plan was to care for the ox until it reached market weight, then sell it for a profit to fund MHH-related costs.

Another key initiative was an annual MHH awareness and fundraising event. This event became one of the most successful fundraising strategies. Students and teachers organized the event, which featured cultural performances, traditional food stalls, poetry, and drama. Government officials from offices such as Education, Health, and Women and Children’s Affairs were invited, strengthening support and visibility. During the latest event or this year on May 14, 2025, the school raised 27,000 ETB (184.9 CHF), which was used to buy menstrual kits and restock shop items. The event also boosted the gender club’s profile and deepened community trust and engagement.

Thanks to these combined efforts, the gender club at Oborso Primary School now operates a sustainable income model. The club currently holds 76,000 ETB in net savings (558 USD) or 520 CHF and owns the ox, valued at 70,000 ETB (479.4 CHF). These resources are used to regularly purchase menstrual pads, soap, and underwear for girls during menstruation. Every month, menstrual hygiene kits are distributed for free to all menstruating students – approximately 20% of the female students.

The school has become a model of best practice within the district. Neighboring schools, including Mandicho primary school, have learned from Oborso’s experience and have begun to replicate its strategies..

Voices from the School

The School Director, Mr. Guyasa Haile, expressed his gratitude, saying,

Dhaabbanni Kaaritas Iswiizerlaandii bakka nuti rafnee jiru nu dammakse,” meaning, “Caritas Switzerland awakened us from where we were sleeping.”

Similarly, the Gender Club leader/teacher, Mrs. Almaz Megersa, praised the organization, stating,

The organization provided an injection, just like a physician gives to a patient to cure illness.”

She proudly noted that the school was now equipped with a dedicated MHH room, furnished with mattresses, bedsheets, pillows, soap, underwear, and menstrual pads. She emphasized that awareness around MHH had grown significantly, and the dropout rate linked to poor menstrual hygiene had markedly decreased. Moreover, student Zeniya Abdullah mentioned that menstruation is becoming a normalized topic in the school, and both boy and girl students can openly discuss and support adolescent girls. She also noted that menstruating girls are treated with care in the MHH room, where they receive counselling and hygiene kits. Zeniya expressed her gratitude to Caritas Switzerland for the effort in promoting menstrual health education and awareness.

Engagement of CACH

Caritas Switzerland continues to support Oborso Primary School by offering technical guidance, conducting periodic follow-ups, and organizing refresher trainings. This ongoing involvement ensures the momentum is maintained and allows for continuous improvements where needed.

The collaborative approach engaging students, teachers, parents, government offices, and local businesses has shown that addressing MHH is not only achievable but also sustainable when led by the school and community. The focus on inclusive participation and local ownership has proven critical in addressing the deeply rooted challenges of menstrual health and hygiene in a sustainable way.

The gardens require minimal water and use kitchen and natural waste (like straw, weeds, ash, and cow dung) to create compost, improving soil fertility and ensuring a steady supply of organic, nutritious vegetables. Various types of vegetables—leafy greens, gourds, roots, and spices—can be grown, enhancing access to key micronutrients and supporting community-led nutrition solutions in climate-vulnerable areas.

A study was initiated to understand the seasonality of production and crop diversity in the keyhole gardens; and to what extent the nutritional supplements provided by keyhole gardens have been able to improve the dietary diversity of the targeted families. A comprehensive survey with a participatory approach was adopted to conduct the study. The study methodology consisted of the selection of area and samples, household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. A comparative study was also done, using data collected from reference groups (other than the keyhole gardeners) residing in the same villages and facing similar challenges including water crises, soil salinity, water logging, and other predicaments like pandemics, lockdowns, cyclones, joblessness, inflation, and others. Both primary and secondary levels of information were used and analysed to draw conclusions and recommendations.

Key findings from the study are as following

• Besides all the challenges faced (geographical, socio-political, natural) in the past year, keyhole gardeners were able to manage a good harvest of different varieties of vegetables throughout the year.
• The productivity of Keyhole nutritional gardens was found to be reasonably high within its limited area of production.
• The diversity of cropping and consumption patterns in Keyhole Gardener households is significant from the nutritional aspect, while the cropping pattern of a traditional garden is more guided by the seasonal market demand.
• The weekly household consumption from the Keyhole Gardens is much higher than from the traditional gardens.
• All the Keyhole gardeners were found to be using organic products in their garden whereas the control gardeners were either using nothing or chemical products in their garden

Read the full study here:

On June 17-18, 2025, the hands4health consortium came together for one last time in its current form to reflect on its journey, share learnings, and chart a way forward. Co-organized with the Swiss Water & Sanitation Consortium (SWSC), the WASH Symposium took place at the FHNW Campus in Muttenz, Switzerland, gathering partners, practitioners, government representatives, and researchers from across the globe.

A Global Gathering with Local Energy

The first day of the symposium welcomed a hybrid audience, with around 40 people present on-site and approximately 45 participants joining online from around the world. This virtual and in-person setting allowed for rich exchanges across borders and disciplines. The program covered a wide range of themes central to hands4health and the SWSC:

• WASH FIT and Strengthening Primary Health Care
• Sustaining Hardware in Schools in Crisis Settings
• From Field Implementation to Strategic Integration at National Level
• Measuring Impact: Data, Indicators and Lessons Learned

The day concluded with a keynote by Martina Schmidt, Research Focal Point at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), who presented SDC’s evolving approach to research for development and emphasized the importance of applied, collaborative research for long-term impact.

After a day of learning and reflection, participants gathered on the top floor of the FHNW building for an apéro riche – a celebratory and convivial moment to connect, engage, and reminisce about the achievements of the two consortia.

From Knowledge to Practice: Workshop Day

The second day was held fully on-site and dedicated to interactive workshops. Participants explored questions critical to the future of WASH interventions:

• How can we better engage stakeholders across levels?
• In what ways can evidence be used as a pathway to scale?
• Why is behavior change essential for sustainable WASH outcomes?
• What role does advocacy play in shifting mindsets and priorities?

The diversity of experiences in the room – spanning health, education, engineering, and policy –  sparked dynamic discussions and opened new avenues for future collaboration.

A special Milestone

One of the symposium’s greatest highlights was the presence of partners from all four hands4health project countries and all three regional advisors of the SWSC, who were able to join us in Switzerland. Their contributions grounded the discussions in real-world experience and served as a powerful reminder of the shared commitment to strengthening WASH systems in schools and health care facilities.

As the hands4health project enters its final chapter, the symposium was not only a celebration of past achievements but also a call to carry forward the lessons, partnerships, and momentum built over the past 4.5 years.

The 2-day symposium will bring together experts, researchers, practitioners and policy makers from the Swiss community of practice along with project teams from our partner countries.

We will have presentations on day 1 and thematic interactive workshops on day 2. Online participation is possible on day 1.

Date: Tuesday 17 – Wednesday 18 June 2025

Location: FHNW Muttenz, Switzerland/ Online (link to be shared)

Co-Organisers: FHNW, SWSC

Languages: ENG/FR (translation will be available on Day 1)

Registration: https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/gkhefbEc

Please find a preliminary program and a short description below:

In 2018, the Zanabougou healthcare facility (HCF) in the Segou region of Mali was among the most deficient in terms of the provision of water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services. According to the assessment carried out by Terre des hommes and the health authorities using the FACET tool from the Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium (SWSC), based on the JMP indicators (WHO/UNICEF), the HCF did not offer a basic service in any of the WASH areas. The service was non-existent in the areas of water, sanitation, hand hygiene and environmental cleaning and limited in the area of biomedical waste management.

Before, working conditions in our establishment were very precarious. There was no drinking water, only a traditional unprotected well that was often inaccessible. The water was polluted, according to the results of various bacteriological analyses. This compromised the practice of hand hygiene and therefore the quality of care.

Mahamed THERA, Technical Director of the Zanabougou health centre.

Thanks to the support of Terre des hommes, a team from the health centre made up of the Director, the President of the Community Health Association (ASACO) and the cleaner carried out a learning visit in 2018 to the Health District of Bla on the WASH FIT pilot experience supported by WaterAid and WHO.

The health facility then piloted the implementation of WASH FIT from 2020 with the support of the Ségou Regional Health Department and Terre des hommes during phase III of SWSC.

Based on the priorities defined in the HCF’s WASH improvement plan by the WASH FIT committee, Tdh financed the construction of the drinking water supply system and installed sinks in the care units and a standpipe in the establishment’s courtyard. The health centre’s management committee created a budget line to ensure the maintenance of the system.

Before, we didn’t have access to drinking water at the hospital. There was only an unprotected, polluted well. We had to travel long distances to find clean water for deliveries. There were no usable latrines either. This made it difficult to treat patients, especially the elderly like me. Today, we are seeing a big improvement in the health service thanks to access to better WASH conditions.

Nana Ballo, patient in the health centre of Zanabougou

These results in terms of access to water have motivated the WASH FIT committee and the community to invest in improving the other WASH components towards a basic level of service. The FACET assessment carried out by Tdh and the health authorities in January 2025 shows significant progress in the level of WASH services. The health facility continues to offer the basic level of water service with a functional maintenance system; the level of service has gone from ‘no service’ to “basic service” for sanitation and hand hygiene; from ‘no service’ to ‘limited service’ for environmental cleaning but remains ‘limited’ for medical waste management.

Thanks to these efforts, the Zanabougou HCF has become a benchmark for WASH/infection prevention and control in Mali.

In June 2024, following a national evaluation, the health care facility of Zanabougou was accredited by the Agence Nationale d’Evaluation et d’Accréditation des Etablissements de Santé (ANAES) for its good governance and the quality of the health services offered to the population, including WASH. A certificate signed by the Minister of Health (below) was awarded to the health establishment at an award ceremony held in Bamako.

Terre des hommes was praised by ANAES for its high-quality support in improving access to WASH in the Zanabougou health facility.