CREATING WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) PROGRAM AWARENESS IN SCHOOLS: A TOOL TOWARDS THE SUCCESS OF COMMUNITY WASH PROGRAM

The provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) in schools has been established to improve health, boost educational achievement, and promote gender equity which has a positive impact on the society. However, in an earlier study conducted with public secondary schools as the focus group, it was discovered that students` knowledge and perceptions about the importance of WaSH are very low. Moreover, there is wide disparity between the WaSH programs being instituted at these schools and the schools’ facilities, thus making it difficult to impress the importance of this program in students. The previous study provides background data and insights on the practice levels and the need to apply suitable strategies to increase the effectiveness and success of the WaSH program in the future. One way to increase the effectiveness of the WaSH program is to stimulate students’ interest in science and technology that could build their capacity in combating WaSH challenges. The main goal of this paper is to propose an idea on how to motivate students about WaSH issues while increasing their interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). The presentation will propose STEM educational tools that can motivate and educate young men and women about water and sanitation. The platform would utilize lap tops and new devices such as iPhone, ipad and smart phones. In addition, the presentation will show how to create awareness that would help integrate WaSH global standards into Nigeria’s national programs and set specific targets at local level in order to ensure sustainability. The aftermath of the implementation of this idea is expected to create increased awareness of students in secondary schools and other higher levels on WaSH services. This would engender access to, and practice of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene knowledge to all the people in the community and key-stakeholders for long-term sustainability.