School led total sanitation : principles and practices

The school led total sanitation program emphasizes the complete elimination of open defecation from the catchments of the schools as a pre requisite for improving hygiene and sanitation. It aims to ensure communities' self-realization of hygiene and sanitation through sensitization. Ignition participatory rural appraisal tools are its backbone. These tools empower communities to see improved hygiene and sanitation as a matter of dignity, health and development; and open defecation as the matter of disgust and shame. The program envisages for developing school and students role model in sanitation and promoting the use of toilet and proper hygiene behavior. The ultimate goal of the program is to build positive attitudes and feelings of self-esteem of users to sustain hygiene and sanitation behavior. Participation, synergistic efforts, inclusion, innovations and recognition of sanitation as a public good are its guiding principles. The program has proved to be effective because parents pay interests in school based sanitation program due to the health improvements and maintenance of the privacy of their children, and sustainability of hygiene and sanitation in community continuously backed by school and community partnership. (authors abstract)