Free Flow

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ducation

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nstitutional

evelopment

source protection, for example – had not been introduced in a

meaningful way.

To address the gap, USAID first considered several existing books

on water, sanitation, hygiene and health, but felt that they lacked the

necessary relevance to children, teachers and communities in Africa.

USAID then decided to work with the Project WET Foundation to

develop, publish and distribute a new set of Africa-specific, child-

friendly WASH education materials. A US non-profit organization

with decades of experience creating resources and training educa-

tors to help people of all ages understand complicated water topics,

Project WET knew the potential of water education to change lives

and build local capacity.

Since 1984, Project WET has dedicated itself to the mission of

reaching children, parents, teachers and community members of the

world with water education by publishing water resource materials

in several languages, providing training workshops, building expert

and educator networks and empowering individuals to take meaning-

ful action to address water issues. The cornerstone of Project WET’s

methodology is teaching about water resources through hands-

on, investigative, easy-to-use activities and empowering change by

offering opportunities for participants to effect positive change in

communities. The system works because it motivates children and

adults alike to learn using Project WET’s interactive, multi-sensory,

adaptable, relevant and scientifically-accurate materials.

To kick off the new WASH programme, Project WET planned a

week-long workshop in Uganda, along the shores of Lake Victoria.

The workshop convened 64 curriculum experts and teachers –

including Oluka – from countries throughout East Africa to devise

a comprehensive programme for teaching African children about

water. Feedback from this workshop assisted in developing and

refining the materials for cultural appropriateness, effectiveness and

breadth of applicability.

In cooperation with these important local partners, Project

WET fleshed out the content for an original educators’ guide and

Water education in Latin America

Building on the success of Project WET interventions in

Africa, UN Habitat asked Project WET to create a similar

programme using a human values-based approach to

water, sanitation and hygiene education (HVWSHE) in

five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean –

Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru. The

materials were customized for local audiences through

on-the-ground workshops and translated into different

Spanish-language versions. A train-the-trainer model

was used to implement the programme, which has

reached nearly 3,000 teachers and 100,000 students

throughout the five countries.

Evaluation results showed that 93 per cent of

teachers surveyed who used the educational materials

reported seeing positive changes in student behaviour,

including practising better hygiene habits, conserving

water, understanding water resources and instilling

stronger values such as responsibility, compassion and

care for the environment.

Project funding also provided for small demonstration

projects to show the potential of using water education

to empower meaningful local action. Using a Spanish-

language Internet educators’ portal created as part of

the project, regional teachers submitted applications

to carry out action projects. Two projects were chosen:

one in Bolivia and one in El Salvador.

In the Andean Plateau region of Bolivia, Project WET

supported the construction of new sanitation facilities

for young children in the small city of Patacamaya.

Part of a larger hygiene improvement project

undertaken by Plan International, the new facilities

include separate boys’ and girls’ toilets, as well as

new hand-washing stations.

In Apopa, El Salvador, the Santa Carlota 1 School

partnered with Adesco and UN Habitat to use the

Project WET demonstration funds to construct a new,

more sanitary kitchen, pave their schoolyard and install

a new water tank. They also upgraded hand-washing

facilities and provided drinking water stations for

students in their classrooms.

Images: Project WET Foundation

A teacher in El Salvador wrote a grant to upgrade these hand-washing

facilities to make them more sanitary

Using the ‘Incredible Journey’ activity, children at Lake Victoria School learn

about the water cycle