Before water pumps were installed in her village, 14-year-old Selma sometimes had to miss school in order to help her mother fetch water from far off. These days, the new community water pumps allow Selma to attend classes regularly. As she awaits her turn to fill her bucket with water, Selma chats animatedly with other girls and tells a visitor, “I enjoy coming to fetch water after school because many of my friends also come at the same time.”

Lack of clean water contributes to poor sanitary conditions and the outbreak of disease. Yet getting enough clean water in this area of Sudan’s South Kordofan State has long been difficult. Water sources are scarce, and many people must walk long distances to reach them. In the past, conflict in the area made water collection not only difficult, but dangerous as well.

Following the signing of a peace agreement in 2005, UNICEF, working with the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the State Water Project, is helping to turn the situation around by building and rehabilitating the region’s water system and also promoting hygiene awareness and good sanitation practices.

This Water, Environment and Sanitation Project is part of a worldwide effort to cut in half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, a target of Millennium Development Goal 7, ensuring environmental sustainability.

Results are already becoming visible. In 2005, this project increased access to safe drinking water for 166,000 children and women; ensured sanitary waste disposal for 10,000 schoolchildren, especially girls; and fostered formation of 21 school hygiene clubs – the plan is to eventually have a club in each of the state’s nearly 200 schools – empowering some 420 schoolchildren with skills and knowledge about good hygiene and sanitation practices.

The effort is part of the Child-Friendly Community Initiative, designed to improve living conditions for children in disadvantaged communities like Selma’s.

Learning about good hygiene

At school, Selma has become a proud member of the hygiene club, where she is learning about basic hygiene and sanitation, as well as how to properly use and maintain the handpumps. The young members of the hygiene clubs are responsible for sharing their knowledge with others.

“I always tell my brother to wash his hands before eating from my plate,” says Selma. “I don’t want to fall sick with diarrhoea.”

Selma’s attempts to share knowledge go beyond her immediate family to reach the village health committee, which is charged with managing the water point and ensuring that the village is clean and the health centre functions smoothly.

Many others are gaining crucial knowledge of water and sanitation management in their communities – almost 900 area residents have been trained in how to maintain and operate the handpumps.

Since the implementation of the water and sanitation project, there has been a significant drop in water-related diseases such as diarrhoea, a leading cause of death for children under five.

With the help of children like Selma, the future of this region is looking brighter than at any time in recent memory. “If I had the money,” she says, “I would provide water to all the children in the world. Safe drinking water is very important for a healthy life.”

Note: Some country-specific information was provided by UNICEF country offices or drawn from UNICEF country office annual reports.