Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH)
Diarrheal diseases continue to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. According to UNICEF, diarrhea accounts for 8% of deaths among children under five years, with 1300 children dying each day globally. In Kenya, one in every ten deaths occurring in children under five years is due to diarrhea (WHO, 2017). Additionally, diarrhea is the leading cause of malnutrition in children below five years as they lose nutrients necessary for growth from episodes of diarrhea.
Since 2012, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, HopeCore has run a robust Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program in over 240 partner schools. Starting in 2020, HopeCore began offering water and hygiene services in the community.
Soap Making
Our WASH program is promoting empowerment. Through a collaboration with a visually impaired community member, we are producing handwashing soap, which is distributed to over 240 schools. This achievement not only highlights his skills but also demonstrates the program’s impact in creating sustainable opportunities for individuals with disabilities, promoting both community health and economic independence.
Soap Distribution
70,779 Liters of soap distributed
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, HopeCore ensured there were four handwashing stations in every partner school.
The handwashing stations include a 70-liter tank, a stand, and soap for handwashing. HopeCore ensures the presence of handwashing soap in 240 schools throughout the year.
Tank Distribution & Monitoring
60,000+ Students have access to clean drinking water in school
We ensure clean water for drinking in each of our 240 partner schools by distributing one large water tank per school for drinking water, three small water tanks for handwashing, and free WaterGuard each term.
HopeCore’s WASH team regularly monitors all tanks distributed to schools and in the community. Any tank found to be faulty is repaired by the facility.
Additionally, HopeCore’s team monitors to ensure that the tanks have water, they have been cleaned regularly, and soap is present for handwashing.
At each monitoring visit, HopeCore conducts health education on WASH topics to students, teachers, and/or health club members.
Menstrual Hygiene Management
11,791 Girls received sanitary pads
More than 65% of girls and women in Kenya are unable to afford sanitary pads, with studies showing that 2 out of 3 sanitary pad users in rural Kenya obtain them from sexual partners, putting young girls at risk of sexually transmitted infections, early and unplanned pregnancies leading to school dropout, and early marriages.
Since its launch in 2016, the MHM project has worked to address this challenge by providing annual sanitary kits to 2,900 needy school girls every year. Each kit contains a year’s supply of sanitary towels and an educational pamphlet. Furthermore, our teams offer menstrual hygiene management education to girls to empower them to grow up as confident beings with the proper understanding of their bodies.
Our WASH team is advocating for the inclusion of a private changing place for girls in school sanitation facilities.