Sugadharam
Tamil for “Hygiene”
- Rising urbanization
- Solution: Build toilets
- Where does the money go?
- Minor repairs
- Building pumps
- Ensuring waste is removed
Hygiene and health are extremely important for children. Good education cannot happen without good health.
Benefits:
Education
Kids can focus on school
Kids can use school facilities as opposed to going back home or out in the open
Girls reaching puberty have proper facilities to prevent high dropout rates
Health
People have hygienic facilities
Reduces infections and other health concerns
Asha Chennai has been working with government schools in the Thiruvallur district under Project Sangamam-Poondi and Project Sangamam Kanini. While the focus has been on education, we recognize the importance of health and hygiene. Many of these school lack good toilet facilities at these schools. This impacts the children in several ways: Dropouts, poor hygiene and health, bad environment at the school etc.
Hyundai Glovis came forward to construct / repair toilets at the schools in Thiruvallur Dist supported by Asha Chennai. They launched this project under the name “Sugadharam.”
Asha and Sugadharam
- Project Sangamam-Poondi and Project Sangamam Kanini: infrastructure, textbooks, supplies, technology
- Hygiene and Health Initiative: fewer dropouts and better studying conditions, less distractions
- What’s been done: Thandalam Toilet Construction
Schools:
Nagalapuram:
- Oldest school Asha is supporting
- Includes a Balwadi (gov’t run preschool for low SES children) and an evening library
- Middle school ~ 150 children
- Currently has toilet buildings for both girls and boys – terrible shape, need repair
- Water tank is 150 meters away with no pipes to bring water to the school
- Estimate: $1,200 for repairs
Koppampatti
- Middle School ~ 100 children
- Asha has been providing 2 teachers since 2016
- Headmaster brought population from 48 to 100 students within 2 years
- 1 toilet – teachers and older girls ONLY
- Goal: separate toilet building with 3 stalls and a urinal area
- Estimate $4,000 per toilet complex