Providing child-friendly toilets that function and last.
The Challenge
Functional, safe, and child-friendly toilets are fundamental to improved health and development outcomes for children, yet many schools lack a sufficient number of toilets, especially for girls. This means long wait times or that kids simply can’t use the toilet during limited lunch and recess time. Existing toilets are often broken or not clean enough to use. Some facilities lack doors and locks for privacy, ventilation, lighting, and water for flushing — in short, making the toilet an occasionally scary, frequently unpleasant experience. No matter what, kids need access a decent toilet — it’s a matter of basic health and dignity.
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 42% of students reported being unable to use the toilet during school due to unhygienic conditions.
What We're Doing
Construct additional toilets so kids can go when needed.
Upgrade existing facilities to make them useable.
Leverage local supply chains to make it sustainable.
Child-Friendly Toilets
We create child-friendly sanitation facilities through the rehabilitation of existing toilets and new toilet construction. Splash ensures school toilets are outfitted with robust hardware and other measures to meet global standards for safety, privacy, cleanliness, and accessibility. Improvements to the facilities are custom-designed for each site and typically include concrete flooring, tile, paint, durable toilet pans, doors that lock, water for flushing and cleaning, proper ventilation and lighting, and accessibility features.
Splash Designed, Government Funded
Splash worked with Stantec, a global design consultancy, and Metaferia Consulting Engineers, an engineering and architectural firm in Addis Ababa, to design sanitation facilities that would create a positive and safe sanitation environment at schools. Following an analysis of schools and government standards in Addis Ababa, the team incorporated water storage, handwashing stations, and features to promote use, ensure privacy, and maximize airflow and natural light. In 2020, the Addis Ababa Bureaus of Construction and Education formally approved the designs, which are now being brought to life with government funding through Project WISE.
Liya, 10th Grade:
"There were times I wanted to change my pad at break but couldn’t access a toilet within the limited time. I couldn’t even stand the smell from the toilet, and I had to rush to go back to class. But after last year’s second semester, things are getting better in our school."
Solutions that Last
It’s not enough to make a toilet beautiful and child-friendly — someone has to keep it that way. Splash has developed a training program to empower school janitors to be key partners in keeping toilets clean, well-maintained, and functional. In addition, we provide a cleaning starter kit consisting of cleaning solutions, buckets, mops, brooms, and gloves to the school cleaning staff. We also ensure sustainability by negotiating ongoing funding and support from local government.