PATS-approach – Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation, with the key involvement of schools in the process. Teachers, parents and students were mobilised and assisted in establishing WASH clubs at each school. These clubs are triggering WASH messages into the surroundings of the schools and the communities where the students live in.
'''''The project and the experiences:'''''
"You shall be happy if you can partner with us to overcome WASH challenges in these schools and their surrounding villages". This warm welcome to Union Council Fatah Pur, Pakistan, characterizes the acceptance of a program that World Relief Germany indeed has the privilege to partner in. The program uses the PATS-approach – Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation, which has been successfully rolled out in Pakistan by other humanitarian actors before. While the focus is on whole Union Councils, the program recognizes the importance of schools and school students as agents of change.
The PATS project in Pakistan clearly shows how WASH in schools can become an instrument for developing WASH in the whole region, leading to open defecation free villages. Students that embraced the importance of WASH do not only bring positive change to their own generation, but also have the ability to mobilise whole communities to work alongside of them – for the benefit of all.
'''====The key lessons of the story:'''====
Schools, particularly students are key agents of change for communities to achieve an open-defecation free environment.
===Sustainability Criteria===
'''''Health and Hygiene:'''''PATS students get a holistic understanding of sanitation and its importance for health. They are able to develop ideas for concrete actions to improve the WASH situation.
PATS students get a holistic understanding '''Environment and natural resources:''' Community sensitising on the value of sanitation open-defecation free environment and its importance for health. They are able to develop ideas for concrete actions to improve on the WASH situationfertilizing effects of human waste protects water sources and conserves mineral resources.
'''''Environment Technology and natural resourcesoperation:'''''Students learn about the whole sanitation system, assess status quo at their school and discuss/organize O&M, whilst mobilizing fellow students to improve the system.
Community sensitising on the value of open-defecation free environment and on the fertilizing effects of human waste protects water sources and conserves mineral resources. '''''Technology and operation:''''' Students learn about the whole sanitation system, assess status quo at their school and discuss/organize O&M, whilst mobilizing fellow students to improve the system. '''''Socio-cultural and institutional aspects:''''' The principles of PATS, that builds on and puts CLTS into a holistic approach within the Pakistani context, are adapted to make it more specific on the conditions South Punjabi students live in. Communities, families and schools with improved sanitation facilities share their hygiene practices more confidently and boldly than those without.
===Project details===
{{No spam|adean|worldrelief.de}}
Stephan Kraemer