VIENTIANE: Children in Oudomxay province now have their lessons in cleaner and safer schools after a three-year sanitation project improved hygiene and health among more than 2,500 students.
For years, students in some rural schools in Namor and La districts suffered from poor sanitation, limited clean water, and little understanding of hygiene and reproductive health. Many children lacked proper toilets and places to wash their hands, while girls often faced difficulties managing menstruation at school.
But conditions have changed sharply through the Girls’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools project, known as GWASH. Plan International Laos runs the project in partnership with the Oudomxay Provincial Administration.
The project officially closed last week after achieving 99.67 percent of its planned targets during three years of work in 30 schools across the province.
Supported by US$850,000 from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Plan International Japan, the project focused on improving sanitation facilities, changing hygiene behaviour, and broadening education on sexual and reproductive health.
Its impact can now be seen in classrooms, school grounds and village communities.
At 29 schools, new toilets, handwashing stations and clean water systems now give 2,572 students access to safer and more hygienic facilities. Among them are 1,295 girls.
Students also received hygiene supplies including soap, toothbrushes and sanitary pads. Water quality testing was carried out to ensure safe use in schools.
But one of the project’s most important achievements was changing children’s daily behaviour.
According to a project report, hygiene practice in schools rose from only 18.55 per cent before the project began to 93.78 per cent by the end of the programme.
Schools also adopted the Ministry of Education and Sports’ “three star” sanitation assessment system, helping raise standards across participating schools.
One project site, Mokton village in La district, sits roughly 16 kilometres from the main road and district centre after a journey over countless hills. Despite the remote location, the changes are evident.
For parents, the difference is visible in their children’s daily lives.
A mother living in Mokton village, Peuy, told the Vientiane Times she noticed a real difference in her community.
She said children now understand the importance of washing their hands and brushing their teeth regularly.
“In the past, children around here were quite dirty and did not wash their hands before eating,” she said. “Now things are much better. They know to wash their faces and brush their teeth when they wake up and before going to school.”
“Since this project has been implemented, my child and the children around here take much better care of their hygiene,” she added. “The children in this village just look much more vibrant.”
Another resident of Mokton village said that before the project got underway, students faced daily hardships. Schools often lacked toilets and clean water, forcing children to use nearby bushes. Unwashed hands and unsafe water caused frequent stomach bugs, leaving students ill and absent from class.
Girls found the situation especially difficult. Without private washrooms or proper sanitary products, teenage girls often stayed home for several days each month, disrupting their education.
The project also addressed one of the most sensitive issues affecting adolescent students in rural areas — sexual and reproductive health education.
At lower secondary schools, lessons on bodily changes, reproductive health and menstrual care were integrated into classroom teaching. Student clubs known as Merlin Phahoo were also established in six schools to encourage peer learning and discussion.
As a result, the number of students with access to reproductive health information increased from 46.32 percent to 97.89 percent.
Girls also learned how to manage menstrual hygiene and make reusable sanitary pads, helping to reduce both embarrassment and barriers to attending school.
Beyond the classroom, project staff worked closely with communities to build long-term support for better sanitation and hygiene practices.
Awareness among parents and communities rose from 84.83 percent to 94.06 percent through village activities and outreach programmes.
To ensure the improvements continue, schools and Village Education Development Committees will manage and maintain the facilities after the project ends.
The closing ceremony took place on May 20 in Xay district, Oudomxay province. The event was attended by the Vice Chairman of the Oudomxay Provincial Administration Committee, Souvath Mahavongsanan, Project Manager, Mina Funakoshi, and representatives from central and provincial sectors.
Souvath praised the success of the three-year programme and urged the community to preserve and care for the new facilities.
“Improving school sanitation is a vital job to build good habits and help children fully understand hygiene,” he said.
He told officials to take the lessons they learned and expand the work to other districts, ensuring that even more schoolchildren benefit in the future.
While the project focused on sanitation, its wider impact reaches far beyond clean toilets and handwashing stations.
For thousands of children in Oudomxay, especially girls, cleaner schools now mean better health, greater confidence, and a safer place to learn. - Vientiane Times/ANN
