A Different Approach: School-Led Total Sanitation - Part 1

As of 2011, sanitation coverage worldwide was at 64%. With a worldwide population of just over seven billion this means that two and a half billion people still do not have access to improved sanitation facilities. Of these people, just over one billion still practice open defecation. Lack of proper sanitation and hygiene often leads to poor health and polluted water, which in turn leads to less production, less time in school, and many deaths worldwide.

One methodology that is being used to help communities realize their need for proper sanitation and hygiene is School Led Total Sanitation, or SLTS (closely linked to CLTS). The thought behind it is pretty brilliant. Have you ever had a child ask you for another piece of cake, or to stay out playing a little longer, or to come help them build a sand castle? They look up at your with their big eyes and innocent face and it's really hard to say no to them. It's almost as if they have some sort of super power that makes their appeals hard to turn down.

The requests thrown out above are trivial, but what if your child came home from school and told you that they wanted to start washing their hands before they ate.

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