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Child-friendly Design

Many schools still lack water and sanitation facilities, and where such facilities do exist they often are of poor quality: smelly, dark spaces with just a hole in the floor. Children often feel uncomfortable and frightened using such facilities, and the result is unhealthy hygienic practices and conditions.

The child-friendly approach to hygiene, sanitation, and water supply facilities aims to design facilities that are part of the learning environment. These facilities enable, stimulate, and promote appropriate hygiene practices among children.

Child-friendly design rests on the following key principles:

1. Encourage hygienic behavior by stimulating children's learning and development.
2. Use appropriate dimensions and make adjustments to facilities so that they accommodate children.
3. Design facilities with sufficient capacity to ensure minimal waiting time.
4. Use appropriate locations for water supply and sanitation facilities.
5. Involve all stakeholders in the design of facilities.
6. Use low-cost solutions without compromising quality.

Parts of the text in this section has been derived from:
Zomerplaag, J., & A. Mooijman. 2005. Child-friendly hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools: Indispensable to effective hygiene education. Delft, The Netherlands: IRC, Water and Sanitation Resource Centre.

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