7,500 students and teachers in Quang Tri have new standard toilets.

After many years of having to endure makeshift, dilapidated toilets, thousands of students in Quang Tri now have access to new sanitation facilities that meet the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training.

"Haunting" called school toilets

During recess on October 13, Hung Trach Secondary School No. 2 echoed with laughter. Many groups came to the newly completed restrooms with teachers to decorate the campus, clean, instruct each other on how to use them, the correct hand washing process, and prepare for the inauguration ceremony of the new facility organized by the Hope Fund, with funding from Opella Vietnam and the Enterogermina probiotic brand.

Teacher Luong Dang Khoi - a Natural Science teacher who has worked at the school for 21 years said: In the past, this row of rooms was a nightmare for teachers and students at Hung Trach Secondary School No. 2. The leaky roof, peeling walls, dirty floors and foul odors made using them a challenge. Students and teachers had to share rooms, while the construction was too old and no longer guaranteed hygiene and safety. During the rainy season, the roof leaked, water flooded in, the building was flooded, and mud was everywhere.

Current status of the restroom at Hung Trach Secondary School No. 2 before being rebuilt. Photo: Hope Fund

Nguyen Hoang Xuyen Chi, a student in class 7B, said that she used to have to wait in line for her turn, but when she entered the restroom, she found it dirty and smelly, so many times she held it in and waited until she got home. Many days in class, she couldn’t concentrate on listening to the lecture because she had to go to the restroom. “If we have to go to the restroom, we have to find a way to get out quickly to avoid the smell and flies; let alone washing our hands,” Xuyen Chi said.

The old, torn, leaky roof of the toilet. Photo: Hope Fund

Big changes from small projects

With 30 years of teaching and working as a manager in many schools, the Principal of Hung Trach Secondary School No. 2 - Mr. Tran Thanh Linh - understands the students' fear of toilets. However, the school is almost unable to mobilize social resources to build auxiliary works due to the difficult life of local people.

New restroom for teachers and students of Hung Trach Secondary School. Photo: Tung Dinh

The concern was partly resolved when in May, Hung Trach Secondary School No. 2 was one of 21 schools that started construction of toilets and bathrooms, within the framework of the School Hygiene project implemented by the Hope Foundation in Quang Binh (old), with funding from Opella Vietnam and the Enterogermina probiotic brand. The project has a total budget of more than 4.95 billion VND, of which the sponsors contributed more than 4.2 billion VND, the rest was matched by the locality.

The projects are designed and built according to the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training , ensuring separate areas for students and teachers, with clean water sources, drainage systems and natural light. In addition to the construction, the project also aims to change students' awareness and hygiene behavior through practical activities, festivals and educational materials specifically for teachers and students.

Joy appeared on the faces of students on the inauguration day of the new restroom. Photo: Tung Dinh

Mr. Nguyen Hai Luong - Vice Chairman of Bo Trach Commune People's Committee, assessed this as a practical project, with significance for community health. "Previously, no local unit had surveyed and invested because this area is remote and often isolated during the rainy season. Now that the project has arrived, it not only helps children have a safe place to use the toilet, but also changes parents' awareness of personal hygiene and the environment," he said.

On the day the project was completed, the inauguration ceremony took place in the joy of teachers and students. Xuyen Chi and her friends no longer had to wait in line for their turn. After using the restroom, they returned to wash their hands following the process shared by teachers and the instruction board attached right on the wall.

“Now the school toilets are as comfortable and clean as at home, and we no longer have the fear of dirt and odors that we had in the past. I also know how to wash my hands properly in 30 seconds, using six steps, and I even share this with my friends and relatives,” Xuyen Chi shared.

Thanks to the support of Hope Fund, Opella Vietnam and Enterogermina brand, two schools in Gia Hung and Thanh Binh villages have two 6-compartment toilets that meet the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training, serving more than 600 students. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van - Principal of Hung Trach Primary School No. 4, said that the schools were also in need, many of the facilities were degraded and unsuitable for use. When receiving support for new toilets, the school issued specific regulations for students to preserve common property such as: no graffiti, saving water, and disposing of trash in designated places. The school also integrated school hygiene education into flag-raising and activity periods so that students remember and form habits.

Bich Dao

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/7-500-hoc-sinh-va-giao-vien-quang-tri-co-nha-ve-sinh-moi-dat-chuan-2456777.html