Photo Journal: Blandine Barthod Visits IRHA Blue Schools in Nepal

Blandine Barthod’s assessment of IRHA’s 10 Blue Schools in Nepal took her through the mountain region to the East of Pokhara. She visited the following schools between 16 October and 13 November 2019, with the help of our local project partners Kanchan Nepal:

Accompanied by a translator, she first attended the opening of a new Blue School at Bijaya village, with its news rainwater harvesting tank and toilets (images 1 & 2 below).

She then visited an abandoned school at Arundaya, where there are still working toilets, and scope for IRHA to create a field centre (image 3).

Afterwards, she travelled to Indrayani village, with its smart stand pipe delivering potable rainwater, pristine toilets, and school garden that’s irrigated with harvested rain (images 4-6).

Next, she visited the IRHA Blue School in Ramkot, perched high in the Mid-Hills, with views of the forested summits (images 7-9).

She met motivated students in Anandajoyoti, sitting in on one of their lesson (images 10 & 11).

Then, she travelled onwards to Bishwashanti village, with its canary yellow secondary school and smartly dressed students (images 12 & 13).

From there she went to Shivalaya on another hot, sunny day (images 14 & 15).

Her penultimate visit was to Jateshwor village (images 16 & 17).

Finally, her last port of call was at Bhairavi village (image 18).

We will be publishing a report on IRHA Blue Schools 2002 -2020.The data is still being compiled. However, these children's comments show the value of supplying drinking water and sanitation facilities in their schools:

· 'We like to see the water reservoirs in our school, because now we do not walk with water jars when coming to school’.

· 'Life is much easier, as we have separated toilets’.

· 'Now we have toilets, environmental conditions near the school are much better as open defecation is not a practice anymore’.

· 'Our toilets are clean, because we have water to clean them’.

· We like to be able washing our hands with water after toilets’.