Health & Sanitation at Bamboo School Nepal

The Jorpati Bamboo School was the first to be built ( in 2000) and has been functioning for more than 8 years. It provides children from the most destitude families with education from Kindergarten to class 10.
Karuna Shechen and Uttam Sanjel plan to build a college next to this school in order to accomodate youths in classes 11 and 12, the two final school years in Nepal. Currently, around 2000 children are enrolled in this school, 75% of whom are girls. At this time there are 9 Bamboo Schools.

Current status

Starting the first pilot project. At this time there are 9 Bamboo Schools.

In this project, low-cost technology is used which can be produced and maintained with locally available materials and skills.

Proper sanitation is particulary important to girls, as a lack of privacy and dignaty will keep many girls from going to school, especially due to their needs during menstruatian.

Consultations per year:
60 medical and dental camps.
300 consultations at the clinic.
2100 dental consultations at the clinic
600 lab analyses
120 dressing and minor surgeries
60 Ultrasounds or X-Ray examinations

The goal of this pilot project is to provide the first Bamboo School with 1500 students from 20 toilets include sanitation and clean water. Even Health Camps, Medical Camps, Consultations and Health education. The results we expected is the possibitity for good education. At this time every day more than 35% of the children are ill by a lack off good sanitation and clean water. If more money comes in more Bamboo Schools will provided.

Goals

• 20 Toilets and access to safe water
• Referals at the clinic
• Health Camps
• Dental Camps
• Health Education

The pilot project will be evaluated each year in therms of results and impact. At the end of the three years of the project, the parents, teachers, and children will have been very well informed on health and sanitation issues and best practices. The teachers will be able to continue enforcing the principles taught the during the three years of the project, so that the children stay informed and the importance of good health and sanitation practicles stay at the forefront of their minds.
At the end of the three years, the children will be in better health thanks to the preventive health and sanitation education program and thanks to the consultations and treatment they will have benefitted from during the medical and dental camps (and if necessary referrals to the clinic). Although the medical and dental camps, and referrals to the clinic, will end after the lapse of the three years. this does not mean that from that point on the children will find themselves without the possibility to receive consultations and treatment. On the contrary, the Jorpati Bamboo School being close to the clinic, the children having benefitted for three years from the camps by clinic staff and referrals to the clinic, and the children having been informed that they can go to the clinic directly for consultations and treatment free of charge or for a very low fee, we are confident that when the children do not feel well, they will have the reflex to go to the clinic for consultations.If, at the end of the three years, after the pilot project has been globally evaluated, we find that the results in therms of health and sanitation awaraness and practices meet all our expetations, we might consider implementing this project in other Bamboo Schools which are relatively close to the Shechen Clinic.