|
SANITATION PROJECT: CHINA
Title of the Project: Happy Eco-School Project
Location: Zhao Jiagou Village, Tianzhen County, Shanxi Province, China
Duration: August – December 2006
Schools are an important part of a community, playing the role of the most valuable learning centre. This School Sanitation Project was launched and successfully completed, in Zhou Jia Gou middle school, which is situated in the Tainzhen County of Shanxi province, to improve the state of sanitation, hygiene and living environment for 358 students and 28 teachers.
Lack of hygiene and sanitation are common in most if not all the 300,000 rural schools in China. School sanitation conditions were extremely poor particularly in this area. Toilets were not properly maintained causing the build-up of flies and maggots around the pit-latrines. Squatting holes over an open trench overflows with excrement and the toilet itself serves as a dumping ground for all kinds of wastes and litter.
Funded by Lien Aid, the proposed ‘Happy Eco-School project’ was implemented in Tianzhen County, Shanxi Province of China. It was jointly administered by China Association for Poverty Alleviation and Development (CAPAD), Institute for Energy and Environment Protection (IEEP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering (CAAE) and World Toilet College (WTC), in close collaboration with relevant local authorities of Shanxi Province, Tianzhen County and Zhao Jiagou Middle School.
The project aimed to achieve sustainable ecological school sanitation through improved school hygiene and reliable, efficient heating system in Zhao Jia Gou Middle School. This involved construction and enhancement of the physical infrastructure of school toilets, training and education of students and teachers, and the creation of a School Sanitation Committee. The completed biogas-sanitary complex comprised new and clean toilets with doors for every cubicle to allow privacy, a proper hand washing facility with hot water and bio-digester for effective human waste and grey water treatment.
WTC was responsible for the training component and assistance to the School Sanitation Committee. They conducted educational sessions to both teachers and students on sanitation and hygiene, provided training materials on environmental protection, recycling and bio-gas. In the next step, the lessons learned and specific outcomes of the project are promoted on regional and national levels.
China is planning to build a new socialist countryside. To coincide with this plan, their government is steadfastly working to improve the state and hygiene in rural areas. The pilot ‘Happy Eco-School’ project hopes to set the benchmark for school sanitation in rural China. The low-cost, low-maintenance biogas-sanitation model combines simple, reliable and environmentally-friendly technology appropriate for rural schools.
|
