The child-to-child sanitation clubs use a peer education model in which older youth between the ages of 17 and 24 are trained as facilitators to spread messages about the importance of sanitation and hygiene to school children through various interactive strategies. These peer educators encourage the formation of child-to-child sanitation clubs and, to date, clubs are operating in over 15 schools, involving about 18,000 students. These clubs are involved in advocating for healthy schools and good hygiene practices, and warning about the dangers of unhygienic environments through participatory methods like song, dance, theatre, and games. For example, children advocated for central refuse collection spots so that they no longer had to share their play spaces with garbage. They also raised awareness on how proper disposal of syringes and other medical material could help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In addition to raising awareness around sanitation, the clubs aim to provide students with safe after-school activities, as well as leadership skills, and an opportunity to engage in arts and creative media. The project also includes a child-to-child radio programme that uses child presenters and supports the objectives of the sanitation clubs.

Organisers say that the sanitation clubs are having an impact on adults in the community as well. Children bring home the messages of good sanitation and begin to practice these habits at home. As a result, parents and adults have begun putting pressure on the local authorities to provide better sanitation and hygiene education and services in all schools. According to organisers, the success of the initial project has prompted inter-school discussions among teachers about the issues, and has inspired other municipalities to begin fundraising to initiate the project in their schools.

Health, Children, Youth, Education, Sanitation.

In 2000, a UNICEF study found that 80% of all primary schools in Beira had no toilets for boys or girls and no hand-washing facilities. Few schools promoted hygiene and those that did focused on lectures by teachers with no student participation.

UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Education to see how the sanitation clubs can be replicated in other communities. As part of its national curriculum reform, Mozambique has committed 20 per cent of the school term to reflect local issues. UNICEF is pressing for hygiene promotion activities to be part of that 20 per cent.

UNICEF states that an unexpected benefit of the project is that it is allowing girls to stay in school longer. Previously, many girls would leave school because the lack of toilet facilities for girls left them without any privacy. According to the organisers, now that boys and girls latrines have been installed, girls are staying on to complete their basic primary education.