Problem Addressed

The program addresses the interrelated issues of: inadequate sanitation in schools, irregularity of cleaning and maintenance of school toilets, lack of awareness on hygienic practicies among children, and related to these issues, high drop-out rates in schools without access to these services.

Innovative Approach

Saraplast’s approach emphasizes the service and maintenance of toilets rather than being limited to just providing toilets. Behaviour change is an important focus area - Saraplast conducts interactive awareness camps with a mascot “Johnny”, which children relate to; they are thus more receptive to behavior change around hygiene.

Business Today in conversation with Rajeev Kher, Founder and CEO, 3S and Saraplast

Program Solution

Saraplast is currently partnering with government schools on the development and/or maintenance and upkeep of 100 toilets across 10 schools, serving 3000 students a month. Activities include:

• Providing high quality HDPE (High Density Polethylene) toilets in schools where there are no sanitation facilities available. Fourteen such portable toilets have been installed in these schools with a minimal monthly rental.

• Arranging awareness camps for children to improve their knowledge, attitudes and practices around hygiene.

• Maintaining daily cleaning reports, signed by the school principal and the site supervisor.

• Taking feedback, through questionnaires, from school staff and parents regarding the change in their pupils’ hygienic behavior.

• Ensuring cleaning and maintenance of facilities through coordinating with school authorities and the municipality. The maintenance is carried out with the help of a truck equipped with jetting machine and water supply for cleaning the toilet. This helps in reduction of the time taken for the maintenance and more schools are covered with a single truck in a single day. There is a driver and a equipment handler with the truck who carry out the maintenance activities.

The current project is implemented in partnership with PCMC - the Municipal Corporation of Pune - and based on the success of the project, the program will be implemented across a larger number of schools in Pune.