Quick Facts
Other Facts
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Population: nearly 30 million
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Life expectancy: 66.6 years
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Unemployment rate: 11.4%
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Population living below poverty line: 25.2%
Clean water, basic toilets and good hygiene practices are essential for the survival and development of children. Without these basic needs, the lives of millions of children are at risk. For children under five, water- and sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death. Every day, children die from preventable diseases caused by poor water, and a lack of sanitation and hygiene.
How do we help under our health & hygiene program?
REACH for Nepal provides improved access and use of safe and sustainable drinking water and sanitation services to children and communities through schools and healthcare services. A key feature of our sustainable investment in health is education on health and hygiene.
Typically, when we deliver an infrastructure project, we also provide access to water and install a water filtration system to ensure the water is safe to drink.
In partnership with organisations and members of the Australian community, REACH for Nepal has provided four water tanks in schools and communities in the Gandaki Province as well as installing five water filtration systems and renovating three amenity blocks.
Recent Case Study
Build of an amenities block at Janasiddha Primary School, Harpan
Janasiddha Primary school is based in Harpan, west of Pokhara and did not have a proper toilet facility for its 65 students and 12 teachers. There was only one depleted toilet for both boys and girls. Due to these circumstances, children often had to go to an open area, and girls found it difficult to share the same toilet facility, which resulted in children often not attending school.
At the request of local people and the school management committee, REACH for Nepal agreed to support a project to build an appropriate amenities block at the school. Four separate toilets were built of which two were for boys and two for girls. The built toilets are children friendly and disability friendly. REACH for Nepal together with project sponsor Trekking for Nepal, have made a significant impact on the life of students and teachers in the school. The highlights include:
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The children now have an adequate toilet block so they do not need to go in the open area.
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The girls in the school feel more comfortable using the toilet as it is separate to boys toilets.
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Proper basin and water system has improved the general hygiene of students.
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Students attendance in school has improved.
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The teachers have also benefitted from the toilets and are very happy about the recent initiative.
The school management committee and its local communities have extended a warm appreciation and gratitude for the team at the REACH for Nepal Foundation.
Babu ram Poudel – Teacher at Jana Siddha School
Impact of our Health & Hygiene education program over recent years
Eleven schools and villages now have access to water to enable washing hands and most of these schools and villages also have a water filtration system to ensure the water is safe to drinking.
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In 2019/20 – University of Canberra students educated the school children (approximately 32) and teachers on the importance of hand hygiene, when to wash their hands and how to wash their hands. The project delivery also included educating the students/mother’s group on nutrition.
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In 2020/21 – 2 schools received teacher training materials, early grade literacy materials, health, and a hygiene training package.
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In 2022/23 – 2 mother’s group/community schools received basic training on hand hygiene and nutrition.
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In 2023/24 – 3 schools received assistance in training materials, health and hygiene training, and sports kits.
