WASH

The Problem:

In Sudan large disparities are evident between urban and rural communities, whereas the national average of people (including children) with access to improved water sources is 81.1%. In rural community communities where SC works almost half the population (50%) has no access to safe water.

72.9% of the entire population including children in Sudan has no access to improved sanitation. In some of the rural states like Blue Nile State - where we work, almost 95% of the population has no access to improved sanitation. The above factors contribute to the high mortality rates among children. The 2010 Sudan household survey (SHHS) puts infant mortality at 57 while under 5 mortality is estimated at 78 deaths in every 1000 live births.

What We Do

The WASH program aims at reducing child mortality and contributing to child survival and development. We focus on increasing access and availability of WASH facilities and services, ensuring that WASH services that we extend to children are of high quality. We also focus of increasing knowledge and improving attitudes towards WASH services and increasing the capacities of WASH partners that we work with.

ACCESS TO WASH:  We focus on constructing new WASH facilities and also improving dilapidated ones in institutions like schools, Child friendly spaces (CFSs), health facilities and within communities.  We work in the remotest rural areas of Sudan and serve disadvantages children and communities in IDP camps, nomads etc. We also focus on improving hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices among children and vulnerable groups in our targeted areas.

QUALITY OF OUR WASH: We strive to ensure that our WASH interventions are as child friendly as possible. We ensure that our WASH facilities and services are safe to be used by children and their families, for instance we monitor water quality and ensure that the water we supply to children and their families meets WHO standards. We take child rights seriously and reflect this in our designs for our WASH structures like safe latrines for children with disabilities in schools and other institutions.

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVING ATTITUDES:  We use child friendly approaches like CHAST (Children Hygiene and Sanitation Training) and child – to- child to increase hygiene knowledge and change attitude among children. We support community structures like community based hygiene promoters and hygiene clubs members to participate in mobilization and sensitization activities.   

CAPACITY BUILDING: Save the Children works and builds capacity of its partners like line ministries (WES), community based hygiene promotion volunteers, community based WASH committee members and other WASH technicians. We ensure there is an effective coordination within partners at both state and national level.

OUR REACH

In 2013, the WASH sector directly reached 644,029 people, of which 287,602 are children, and reached approximately 1,827,581 people indirectly of which 400,792 are children.