Water, sanitation and hygiene education : children and adolescents leading the way in the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Since 2002, UNICEF is committed to addressing safe water, sanitation and hygiene in Lao PDR, with a focus on community outreach as well as the needs of rural schools. UNICEF hopes that through proper education about water and sanitation, transmission of water-borne diseases can be avoided.
All youth participation programmes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic rely on child-friendly life skills techniques and entertaining extra-curricular activities to support water, sanitation and hygiene education. The “Learning with Joy” kit or “Blue Box” was designed for participatory learning both in and outside of the classroom using games and stories. The messages are focused on hand washing, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, water and latrine use for better health. The project uses child-to-child and child-to-adult approaches in teaching, and the messages learnt are spread by children to homes, villages and district-wide by way of radio and television broadcast.
In the context of this case study, participation is understood in a programmatic sense, involving young people as active participants in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable community-based initiatives. It is, therefore, both a process and an end. As a process, it requires inputs, (safe water, sanitation and hygiene messages) and demonstrates certain outputs, effects and long-term impacts (sustained behaviour change and healthy citizens). As a developmental goal, and as an ‘end’ unto itself, it builds a feeling of ownership, greater understanding of programme goals and a greater commitment among young participants.