VALUE BASED WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE EDUCATION BY THE TANZANIA INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

INTRODUCTION

The Value-Based Water Sanitation and Hygiene Education (VBWSHE) programme is part of UN-HABITAT's Water for Africa Cities Programme in Dar es Salaam. Over the past five years, UN HABITAT has been assisting African countries to improve the management of water in cities. With support from the United Nations Foundations, the World Bank, The Government of the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Finland. This interaction is the first regional initiative of its kind to support Africa Cities to manage the growing water demand and protect their fresh water resources from the increasing pollution loads from cities. It began in October 1999. The programme is so far implemented in 12 cities in; Cote de Voire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Cameroon, Niger, Uganda and Kenya.

PURPOSE

There is a compelling case for creating a new water use ethic in our cities. Rapid urbanization has put an enormous  pressure on water resources in Africa. In this case, saving water is more effective than trying to find or develop new sources of water. The growing numbers of urban residents, especially the urban poor, pay an increasingly high price for lack of safe and adequate water and basic sanitation.
Value Based Water Education is a strategies entry point for bringing about positive attitudinal changes, among both service providers and users.  Water sanitation and hygiene education can play a strategic role in bring about positive attitudinal changes, and in the longer term can help develop a new water use ethic in society.  Children and youth could be the best  ambassadors to bring about these attitudinal changes. New approach to water sanitation and hygiene education has been  embraced by education authorities in other African countries.
The water initiative will link Value Based Water Education to investments in water and sanitation in schools, as all too often schools lack these essentials services.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

Thus the objectives for the program are as follows:

• To improve the efficiency and equity of water supply and use in Dar es Salaam both in the productive and domestic sectors, through appropriate water conservation and demand management strategy and measures within existing legislative framework.
• To improve the knowledge base of the impact of urbanization on fresh water and aquatic ecosystems in Dar es Salaam.
• To create public awareness on urban water resource management and related environmental issues in Dar es Salaam.
• To promote Value Based Water Education in formal and non-formal education aimed at increasing understanding and creating a new water ethic amongst water providers and consumers alike.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS

The strategic role of the programme is to bring about positive attitudinal change and in longer term can develop new water use ethic in society. This is possible if and only if children and youth are directly involved, thus could be the best ambassadors to bring about these attitudinal changes.

In order to implement the programme, selection of Schools and colleges was done. Selection of pilot schools for establishing water classrooms was guided by certain criteria taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances in each participating city.

Selection of pilot schools considered the following factors:

• Ease of accessibility by neighboring schools and interested groups.
• Ability to run the water classroom by appointing teachers to be in-charge.
• Availability of water in the school.
• Commitment by the school to provide the classroom space (four walls).

CRITERIA USED IN THE SELECTION OF THE PILOT SCHOOLS

Both government and non government primary and secondary school

• Coverage in the three municipals (i.e., Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke).
• School with reliable water supply.
• Schools experiencing water shortages.
• School of children with special needs.
• College with Grade A and Diploma teacher student.
• Commitment by the school to provide the classroom space (four walls) and teachers.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS SELECTED

1. Tandale Primary School (Government school).
2. J.K. Nyerere School    (Private school).
3. Kipawa Primary School (Government school).
4. Uhuru Mchanganyiko Primary School (Government school with children with special needs).

SECONDARY SCHOOLS SELECTED

1. Barbro Johanson Secondary School (private school girls only).
2. Kibasila Secondary School (government school- girls and boys).

COLLEGE AND INSTITUTION SELECTED

1. Morogoro Teacher Training College
2. Institute of Adult Education

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

This program is implemented in phases. Tanzania is now implementing phase I. As part of the implementation of the program, the Ministry for Education and Vocational Training through the Tanzania Institute of Education was assigned the following activities for implementation;

• Developing Teaching/learning materials on Value Based Water Sanitation and Hygiene Education (VBWSHE).

The following training Manuals have been developed:

• Integration on VBWSHE  into the school curriculum.
• Networking Strategies for VBWSHE.
• Human Values in Non Formal/ Community for VBWSHE.
• VBWSHE in Dedicated Classrooms.
• Training of Teachers and Curriculum Developers in (VBWSHE).

National Training Workshop on VBWSHE was conducted for five days and involved 30 participants from schools, college, institutions and inspectorate department.

• Developing of Teachers Guides in Value Based Water Sanitation and Hygiene Education.
• Piloting the Programme.
• Monitoring and Evaluation of the Programme.

Groups of pupils from Primary School participating in group activities assigned to them on VBWSHE.