Over 700,000 students will be served across 407 public schools
Project Stats
START DATE
December 2025
SCALE & SCOPE
407 schools
TARGET POPULATION
701,203 children
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER
BORDA Zambia
ESTIMATED COMPLETION
2029
STRATEGIC EXIT
2030
Zambia
Zambia is uniquely positioned to accelerate safe, reliable school WASH and menstrual health services at scale. The Zambian government has established a strong policy environment, clear standards and guidelines, and a growing commitment to improving public schools.
The 2021 free education policy is a powerful national achievement, and it has also increased pressure on school infrastructure. Enrollment is projected to grow from 4.8 million students in 2021 to 8 million by 2035, stretching existing WASH services. In Kitwe, some schools report 213 students sharing one toilet, far above the government standard of 20 girls and 25 boys per toilet. Menstrual health infrastructure is also a critical gap: only 25% of schools in Kitwe and 6% in Ndola meet Zambia’s basic menstrual health standards, putting adolescent girls’ attendance and learning at risk.
Given these conditions, strengthening WASH-M in schools — water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health — can help improve educational, health, and economic outcomes. With committed government leadership, strong national priorities, and clear pathways for delivery and co-financing, Zambia is ready to build lasting school WASH systems at scale.
Population
21,548,000
Zambia’s school enrollment is expected to reach 8 million by 2035—up from 4.8 million in 2021.
The Goal
Every public school in Chipata, Kitwe, Lusaka, and Ndola
Chipata, Kitwe, Lusaka, and Ndola
Chipata Schools: 95
98,480 students
Kitwe Schools: 88
168,850 students
Lusaka Schools: 140
307,737 students
Ndola Schools: 84
126,136 students
Zambia has the policy momentum, government commitment, and urgent school infrastructure needs to support a scalable WASH-M program across public schools. Through Project WISE Phase II, Splash is partnering with government and local leaders to help translate that momentum into durable infrastructure, stronger school systems, and long-term local ownership.
The work in Zambia focuses on a clear goal: reaching every public school in Chipata, Kitwe, Lusaka, and Ndola with safe water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health infrastructure that can be sustained over time.
What are we doing?
Over the past year, Splash has laid the groundwork for a collaborative partnership with the Zambian government, BORDA Zambia, local NGOs, community groups, and school leaders. Following a robust feasibility study, Splash is focusing on Chipata, Kitwe, Lusaka, and Ndola.
Our goal is to reach 100% coverage of 407 public schools across these four cities, serving 701,203 students.
Through Project WISE Phase II, Splash will support durable water infrastructure, sanitation improvements, handwashing facilities, menstrual health infrastructure, and long-term maintenance systems that schools and government partners can sustain over time.
What have we learned?
Our work in Zambia marks the start of Project WISE Phase II, building on lessons learned from Phase I in Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, and Kolkata, India, over the past five years.
The biggest innovation is local co-ownership from the very beginning. In Zambia, Splash is working to strengthen government policies, standards, financing pathways, and relationships at every level, from national and local government agencies to school administrations.
We’re also engaging local NGOs, community groups, businesses, and school leaders to tap into local expertise and build a foundation of trust within each school’s social ecosystem. By aligning with government systems and financing from the start, Splash and our partners can help build a model that is locally owned, resilient, and ready to scale.
We know this will be a learning experience for Splash and our partners, and it will help deliver a stronger, more adaptable model that can support lasting school WASH services for millions more children.
Impact
Splash’s work in Zambia builds on our track record of impact across 9 countries, where our projects serve more than 1.2 million children daily.
In Zambia, Project WISE Phase II is designed to reach 701,203 students across 407 public schools in Chipata, Kitwe, Lusaka, and Ndola. Planned infrastructure needs include new drinking water taps, handwashing taps, student and staff toilets, boreholes, septic systems, water storage systems, and menstrual health infrastructure that supports students’ health, dignity, attendance, and learning.