UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

This project aims to improve the health of 455,000 people in the most vulnerable communities in southern Mali. It addresses the need for safe water, sanitation facilities, and better hygiene in these communities. This need has intensified as a result of the humanitarian and political crisis following the coup d'état in March 2012. The project aims to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities and practices in 300 schools and 650 surrounding communities in the regions of Mopti, Koulikoro and Sikasso. Most communities in these three regions do not have water and sanitation facilities. As a result, the regions have a high rate of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, which is one of the major causes of illness and death among young children. The project activities include: building girls' and boys' latrines, hand-washing stations, and urinals at schools and equipping schools with hygiene kits; building wells and small-scale water supply networks for communities without access to safe water; promoting and supporting community-led awareness and education campaigns that aim to change the way people approach hygiene and sanitation; and improving the operation and maintenance of water facilities.