Students at a school in Dong Van celebrate having their new toilet.
The 20 toilets were built in three months as part of School Hygiene Project that aims to provide children with a clean and safe study condition, raising their awareness about self hygiene and environmental preservation.
The old toilet at Dinh Lung campus of Ta Phin Primary and Secondary School for Children of Ethnic Minorities, was built temporarily on the hillside. Students were afraid to use it because of the lack of hygiene and safety.
The new toilet at Sinh Lung Primary and Secondary School for Children of Ethnic Minorities.
The old toilet at the school’s boarding area had been demolished after being severely damaged, and for a while students had to walk a distance to use the toilet near the classrooms, which was inconvenient.
20 new toilets were built with 2–12 compartments, suitable for the number of students in each school.
"I don't have to wait in line for my friends every time I go to the bathroom anymore,” said Nguyen Tu Anh, a fifth grader at Sinh Lung.
"The water flushing is also convenient, with separate male and female areas, completely different from the old toilet."
Some toilets have locked doors to prevent outsiders from coming in to use them after school hours, which can make them dirty.
The handwashing area has soap, a board with a 6-step instruction following the Ministry of Health’s standards, and another board of general rules for using the sinks and the toilets.
Every week the students take turns to clean up the area.
The School Hygiene Project is part of the School Light program, with the goal of eliminating degraded toilets at Vietnamese northern highlands and saving kids from diarrhea. In 2022, Hope Foundation and Sanofi Vietnam handed over 20 new, spacious toilets to students and teachers in Van Ho District, Son La Province. At the same time, they organized training and educational activities on school hygiene.
With the hope that children will have healthy conditions to study, the Hope Foundation, with the companionship of probiotic brand Enterogermina, started the School Hygiene project in Dong Van, Ha Giang in 2023.
To join hands with the project, learn more here.
