Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Bathrooms for Girls

Hi Everyone,

Hope this finds you well. We were recently out at Sarsasdam High School where we have been building a bathroom facility for girls and women teachers. The high school only had four toilets for about 800 students.


In Cambodia 67% of people don't have access to adequate sanitation and this especially affects girls and women. When a girl in Cambodia hits puberty she is faced with a lack of private, girls-only space to wash and so she stays home, missing many days of school. Her grades suffer, which may cause her to drop out of school altogether. It has been proven in developing counties that when a girl stays in school, everyone benefits. Educated girls turn into empowered women; they invest more in their families, children and communities, resulting in higher economic growth for the whole society.


When we found out how few toilets there were at the high school and how difficult this must be for the girls and female teachers, we decided to try and find funds for this project. Thankfully the Compassionate Eye Foundation agreed to fund the washrooms. Now girls not only have more bathrooms, they have a private sink, toilet and water reservoir in each stall. We also installed mirrors so they can comb their hair. The girls and teachers are thrilled to have this private area.




Together this project has not only given girls their dignity it has improved their education and their health. Thanks to Compassionate Eye for their support and to all of you for your support of KIDS.


All the best to you and yours,

Adrianne and Rick