Stories: Children, Community, Future

Luc Binh primary school had very poor water and sanitation facilities. When it rained, the chool’s ground quickly became a muddy yard, and classroom floors would become filthy with students coming in and out. The school did not have a proper toilet, waste bins or any other sanitation facilities. This affected the wellbeing of students, who came in far fewer number during the rainy season.

ChildFund began its water and sanitation project in Bach Thong district in 2006. The project’s main objective has been to improve the water and sanitation conditions for communities by constructing new infrastructure and promoting hygiene and sanitation practices.

Children practising hygiene at school

In June 2007, at Luc Binh primary school ChildFund constructed a water supply system as well as hygienic toilets for students. Each class was provided with waste bins inside the classroom. A large waste collection pit was built behind the classroom buildings. ChildFund also concreted the school yard and planted flowers to create a cleaner and nicer environment for children.

A student representative group was also established to monitor and review a new set of hygiene practices established at the school.

Thoan socialising hygiene practice with her classmates

Hoan has worked at the school since 2007. She is a teacher of arts and manages all of the hygiene and sanitation promotion work. She says: “I had opportunity to learn from ChildFund’s workshops, and share this knowledge with students and teachers.”

“The improved school environment enhances my students’ self-esteem and have a positive impact on their attitudes towards learning, especially because they have played a part in those improvements,” Hoan shares.

She often combines arts lessons, such as drawing or dough playing, with the themes of sanitation and hygienic practices, for instance washing hands with soap or cleaning up the classrooms.

Children clean their classroom before and after the lesson

“The pleasant, well-maintained school yard also provides opportunities for children to learn about insects, birds, plants and much more, which can stimulate their study in arts. By learning about the natural landscape, images and colours, their creativeness and senses of arts are much more developed,” says Hoan.

She adds: “All beautiful things require effort and enthusiasm to create and maintain. I will continue to develop my career here in teaching students and contribute my part in keeping the school clean and beautiful forever.”