A UNICEF Success Story from Togo

School children wash their hands in Segbé Maritime region. Like in Segbé, Davié Djogbé will benefit from water and sanitation infrastructures provided by UNICEF.

"Twice a week we have to go to the river, the Zio, to fill our cans of water. The problem is that it is too far!" complains Kossi, a 13-year-old student of the Davié Djogbé school. Indeed, the Zio is 3 kilometers away from the school, straight into the bush. In Davié Djogbé, a small community only 30 kilometers from the capital Lomé, there are no water and sanitation infrastructures. Teachers are forced to send an entire class, at least 40 children, twice a week to fill 40 cans of 20 and 10 liters. "Can you imagine that we have to walk 6 kilometers back and forth with children to get some water? We don't have any other solution to get water," sighs Mr. Komi Kpogo, the director of the primary school.

"When we want to defecate or to pee we are going to the bush to do it!" giggles Kossi, as the other children join in. Step by step a debate begins in the class on water and sanitation issues. "We need to have latrines and hand washing spots," says Mauko, a 12-year-old boy, "because otherwise our textbook gets dirty!" All the children burst out laughing, but Kossi corrects, "It's principally to fight against germs which are in the water that we need to wash our hands." The school director congratulates the children and adds, "Children have to get access at least to clean water! Of course because of this dirty water we collect, lots of children suffer from diarrhea and it disturbs their schooling, but what can we do?"

In Togo, 61 percent of the rural population have no access to clean water and 90 percent of rural communities don't have access to appropriate toilet facilities. It has been shown that hygiene and handwashing can reduce the cases of diarrhea, a waterborne illness that kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined, by 88 percent. Accessible and safe water is a key to be able to perform proper hygiene behavior and satisfy household needs for cooking and drinking.

This is why UNICEF provided water and sanitation infrastructures (water tanks, hand washing spots, separated latrines for boys and girls) to 22,500 children in 75 schools in 2009. And, UNICEF is planning to reach an additional 15,000 children in 2010. UNICEF has also improved the water supply in 10 health centers, while an additional 5 health centers are currently being built and rehabilitated. Davié Djogbé will benefit from UNICEF Water, Hygiene and Sanitation programs in less than 4 months. Then Mauko won't dirty his textbook anymore, and many more children will have the clean water they need to survive and thrive!