Splash

Why Zambia, why now?

Because access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene still shapes the school day for too many children.

Across Zambia, 21% of schools lack basic water access and 17% lack basic sanitation. In households, the gaps are even wider: 27% lack basic water access, 63% lack basic sanitation, and 82% lack basic hygiene facilities.

For students, these numbers are not abstract. They can affect whether there is water to drink, a safe toilet to use, soap for handwashing, or a private place to manage menstruation with dignity.

That is why Splash is expanding Project WISE (WASH In Schools Everywhere) in Zambia.

Together with government partners, schools, and local organizations, Splash is working to strengthen school WASH systems across Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola, and Chipata — reaching more than 700,000 learners across 400+ schools.

This is not only about installing infrastructure. It is about building school environments where clean water, safe sanitation, hygiene education, and menstrual health support are part of everyday learning.

When WASH works in schools, children have more than access.
They have a healthier foundation for opportunity.

Lasting impact starts with systems that keep working.

In school WASH, reliability matters. A water system can be installed. Tanks can be full. Filters can be working. But if a tap fails, access stops.

That is why durable design matters.

Through Splash Social Enterprises, Splash develops handwashing stations and tap systems designed for real school environments: high daily use, water conservation, easier maintenance, tamper resistance, and child-friendly use.

Because schools need more than short-term solutions. Children need systems built for daily use and designed for long-term impact.

Healthy habits are built, not assumed.

In Kolkata, Splash studied how handwashing behaviors changed in schools over time through Project WISE.

After the intervention:
• 79% of students washed with water and soap
• 87% washed both hands
• 90% were still washing with water and soap before eating after 18+ months

The takeaway: behavior change takes more than a message.

It takes water, soap, stations, routines, reminders, school leadership, and repeated reinforcement.

Read the full learning brief:https://splash.org/assets/Changing-Handwashing-Behaviors-in-Schools-Longitudinal-Lessons-from-Kolkata.pdf

Tomorrow is Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Stigma does not disappear because one person gets a pamphlet. It changes when the people around girls — peers, teachers, parents, boys, and school leaders — understand that menstruation is normal and support matters.

That is why Splash’s menstrual health work includes the broader school and social ecosystem, not just individual students.

In Splash-supported schools in Addis Ababa, the average belief in menstruation-related myths decreased from 50% to 8%.

When schools create space for honest education and support, periods become easier to manage — and less difficult to talk about.