By Sayantani Deb
Guwahati: With a broom in hand and a determined glint in his eyes, 15-year-old Jyotirmoy Nath, a class IX student at Haldha High School in Assam‘s Darrang district, leads the charge.
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He’s not just cleaning; he’s on a mission. For Jyotirmoy, the dusty classrooms, the sprawling playground, and even the often-neglected bathrooms are a shared responsibility, a reflection of the community within the school walls.
“I believe a clean environment is essential for good health. That’s why I’m passionate about our cleaning drive and encourage everyone to get involved,” Jyotirmoy shared.
The teenage boy is a proud member of the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Committee, established by Synopsys India and Bal Raksha Bharat at his school a year ago.
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WASH aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.
For the government-run school, the mid-day meal plays a crucial role. Jyotirmoy and his friends are taking the extra step to instill the habit of proper handwashing before and after meals among the younger children.
“We visit every class, tell the children about handwashing, and demonstrate the proper technique,” he explained. The senior students have also encouraged the younger ones to donate soap to the school.
“We have received support. Now, it has become a tradition for every student to donate soap on their special day, which helps maintain hygiene throughout the school,” Jyotirmoy happily shared.
Jyotirmoy’s classmate, Jublee Deka, is passionate about educating girls about maintaining hygiene during menstruation.
“At that time of the month, it is crucial for girls to maintain proper hygiene. Girls from class VI onwards are informed about the importance of cleanliness and self-care during menstruation.”
Like Jyotirmoy and Jublee, many students from rural schools in Darrang have come forward to ensure pure drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities at their respective schools.
This has happened due to the consistent intervention of two organizations that understand the need for pure drinking water, sanitation facilities, and the fostering of hygienic behavior among children, and who extended all required support to 10 government-run schools in Darrang district.
According to Kritanjali Kashyap, Manager of Programme Operations at Bal Raksha Bharat, “Due to the lack of proper WASH infrastructure, especially at rural schools, students often suffer from waterborne or water-related diseases. To improve the situation a few years ago, we, together with Synopsys India, took on the mission to develop WASH facilities and focus on hygiene education.”
“WASH is an ambitious step towards providing a healthy life to the students,” she added.
The impact of the WASH committee at Uttar Mangaldoi High School is quite similar to that at Haldha High School.
Hiyamoni Deka, a student there, considers herself lucky to be able to contribute to maintaining cleanliness at her school.
“Our school is more than just a building; it’s the foundation of our education. By keeping it clean, we create an environment conducive to learning and respect.” She said.
“While we have a scheduled weekly cleaning for the school washrooms, the high student population necessitates more frequent attention. We clean them as often as possible between scheduled cleanings, said Hiyamoni.
“We actively promote hygiene among our classmates and teach younger students essential practices like proper handwashing and responsible care of school facilities, including water taps,” she added.
Hiyamoni expressed her gratitude to the organizations for showing the way that collectively, they can work together to make the school better.
“School is not for one but for all. Keeping it clean is our moral responsibility,” she said.
Beyond forming WASH committees, the organizations have also set up handwashing stations, RO water purifiers, and renovated toilets across all 10 schools. Hiyamoni is also grateful for their initiative to renovate the school toilets.
“Earlier, the toilets were quite poor, thus it was difficult for us to use them; however, with the renovations, we can now use them without any worries. Also, handwashing has become systematic with the setting up of handwashing stations.”
Dipali Sarma, Uttar Mangaldoi High School, noticed the positive changes brought about by the WASH committee.
She said, “The student-led committee has made a tremendous difference! They’re now incredibly dedicated to keeping the school and its surroundings spotless. It’s truly gratifying to see.”
Meanwhile, an elated Kashyap is confident that the WASH program will continue to make a significant impact.
“The feedback from all ten schools regarding the support from Synopsys India and Bal Raksha Bharat has been overwhelmingly positive. We view this program as a crucial step, bringing us closer to fulfilling our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.