Improving sanitation is a key priority of the government which has introduced several flagship programmes including the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to clean India. More than 50% of the Indian population doesn’t have access to toilets. DOV foundation has been in the forefront promoting access to clean water and clean toilets.

The need of the hour is to build “Usable Efficient Toilets” covering the range of schools and villages in urban, rural and tribal regions. Apart from building toilets; the last mile – “Sustainability and maintenance” factors have to be supervised (by creating awareness programs amongst locals).

ThereforeDOV India Foundation support campaigns and organizations working in this domain and appeal to people in assisting us in making India a “Hygiene focused nation”.

DOV India Foundation ensures that the toilets proposed by us have some form of management to ensure that they remain clean, hygienic and odor free. For this combined efforts, involvement of school teachers, students and parents have been made mandatory. The maintenance plan comprises of a toilet kit maintained by school administration where they are constructed. Child Help Foundation sensitizes the students and community people on the use of toilets and awareness on sanitation and hygiene. Oaths are taken by students to keep the toilets clean.

Prime intention of  DOV India  Foundation is to protect groundwater, surface water and soil from sewage pollution, prevent the accumulation of hazardous pathogenic waste, and solve the problem of disposing sewage sludge to Landfill; thus saving huge quantities of water in a world where water is an increasingly scarce resource.

Sustainability:I DOV India Foundation regulars hygiene education activities through the ongoing health and education programs and continues even after the completion of toilet construction.

We consider the program to be a successful only if water, sanitation, and hygiene services are sustainable beyond the duration of the program.

The sustainability of the program is possible only through effective engagement activities between the stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Way Forward: The program will be deemed a success from a health and developmental standpoint when the following have been achieved:

All families in a village have children’s and family latrines that are hygienically managed and the practice of open defecation has been eliminated.

All participating schools have sanitation facilities and hand washing facilities that are hygienically managed and sustained.

All villages are open-defecation free

Diarrhoea rates will be measurably reduced at household and community level through improved sanitation and hygiene, thus improving health.

Addressing Absenteeism through Improved Sanitation: By facilitating the construction of toilets and wash facilities in schools, we have managed to curb dropout rates and absenteeism, especially among adolescent girls. Our awareness programme is focused on promoting health education, menstrual hygiene, and economic empowerment