WHO
Health, dignity, and school participation
WHO states that safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are crucial to health and well-being and contribute to school attendance and dignity.
Read WHO guidance โMenstrual Hygiene Management
School WASH & Menstrual Health
Healthy schools. Confident girls. Better learning.
Maji na Ufanisi helps schools improve water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health so learners can study in environments that protect health, dignity, safety, attendance, and equal opportunity.
Why this programme matters
A learner should never have to choose between dignity and education.
Schools cannot fulfil their promise when learners lack safe water, clean toilets, handwashing facilities, privacy, or reliable menstrual health support.
The World Health Organization recognises safe water, sanitation, and hygiene as essential to health, well-being, dignity, and school attendance. UNICEF similarly emphasises menstrual health programmes that improve knowledge, confidence, materials, and facilities.
When a school provides safe water, dignified sanitation, menstrual health support, and practical hygiene education, learners gain more than facilities. They gain confidence, time, safety, and a stronger chance to succeed.
Credible global guidance
Our work reflects internationally recognised priorities.
Maji na Ufanisi applies local knowledge while drawing credibility from guidance and evidence published by respected global institutions.
UNICEF
Menstrual health and hygiene
UNICEF promotes programmes that strengthen menstrual health knowledge, confidence, skills, access to materials, and safe facilities.
Explore UNICEF guidance โUN
Sustainable Development Goal 6
The United Nations calls for universal and equitable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, with attention to women and girls.
View UN SDG 6 โ
The barriers learners face
Poor school WASH can quietly push learners out.
Unsafe or insufficient water
Learners may lack enough water for drinking, cleaning, handwashing, and menstrual hygiene.
Inadequate toilets
Dirty, crowded, unsafe, or inaccessible toilets undermine health, privacy, and dignity.
Weak handwashing systems
Missing water, soap, or behaviour-change support allows preventable illness to spread.
Menstrual stigma and poor facilities
Girls may struggle with fear, shame, inadequate privacy, limited information, or lack of materials.
Exclusion and inaccessible design
Facilities that ignore disability, age, and gender can leave some learners behind.
Interrupted learning
Illness, discomfort, and inadequate menstrual support can affect attendance, concentration, and participation.
The reality of period poverty
No girl should miss school because she cannot manage her period safely.
Period poverty is not only a lack of menstrual products. It can also mean inadequate information, unsafe toilets, no water, no privacy, stigma, fear, and limited support from adults.
These barriers can affect a girlโs confidence, comfort, concentration, attendance, and ability to participate fully in school. That is why Maji na Ufanisi treats menstrual health as part of a complete School WASH systemโnot as an isolated activity.
A pad, a private toilet, clean water, accurate information, and a trusted adult can together protect a girlโs dignity and help her remain engaged in learning.
Menstrual products and materials
Safe, private, functional toilets
Water, soap, and safe disposal
Accurate education and stigma reduction
Our integrated programme
School WASH and menstrual health designed as one connected system.
Safe water and sanitation
Facilities that protect health, privacy, and dignity.
We work with school leaders, learners, communities, and partners to assess water availability, toilet conditions, privacy, accessibility, cleaning, and maintenance.
The goal is not simply to construct facilities. It is to help schools create systems that learners can safely use and school communities can responsibly maintain.
Reliable water access
Safe and private toilets
Inclusive facility design
Cleaning and maintenance plans
Menstrual health and hygiene
Helping girls manage menstruation safely and confidently.
WHO calls for menstrual health to be recognised as a health and human rights issue. Our programme responds by combining accurate information, supportive school environments, privacy, materials, safe disposal, and respectful dialogue.
Girls should not have to hide, miss class, or feel ashamed because of a normal biological process. We help schools replace silence with knowledge and stigma with support.
Age-appropriate education
Supportive teacher engagement
Privacy and safe disposal
Materials and dignity support
Hygiene education
Turning facilities into healthy everyday habits.
Handwashing facilities alone are not enough. Learners, teachers, cleaners, and school managers need practical knowledge, visible routines, adequate supplies, and consistent reinforcement.
We support school hygiene clubs, peer learning, demonstrations, awareness activities, and community participation so healthier behaviour becomes part of school culture.
Handwashing promotion
School hygiene clubs
Peer-to-peer learning
Teacher and parent engagement
School ownership and sustainability
Building systems that continue after the project ends.
We strengthen the people and systems responsible for school WASH, including school management, teachers, learners, parents, boards, local authorities, and community partners.
Clear roles, maintenance planning, budgeting, monitoring, and learner participation help protect the investment and keep facilities working.
School management capacity
Maintenance planning
Learner participation
Monitoring and accountability
How we implement the programme
A clear path from assessment to lasting school ownership.
Step 01Assess the schoolReview water, toilets, handwashing, menstrual health, accessibility, safeguarding, and management systems.
Step 02Listen to learnersInclude girls, boys, teachers, parents, and vulnerable learners in identifying barriers and priorities.
Step 03Co-design the solutionAgree on facilities, education, supplies, responsibilities, safeguards, and sustainability measures.
Step 04Implement responsiblyDeliver infrastructure and activities with clear roles, community participation, and transparent stewardship.
Step 05Build knowledge and habitsSupport menstrual health education, hygiene clubs, teacher capacity, and school-wide routines.
Step 06Monitor and sustainTrack use, cleanliness, privacy, supplies, learner experience, maintenance, and opportunities to improve.
A programme that protects potential
When girls have dignity, they can focus on their future.
A private toilet, reliable water, trusted information, a supportive teacher, and access to menstrual materials can change how a girl experiences school.
WHO and UNICEF report that menstrual health needs are still overlooked in many schools globally. By investing in practical menstrual health support, partners help remove a barrier that can affect confidence, attendance, well-being, and equal learning opportunity.
Why partners trust this programme
A credible approach to health, dignity, and learning.
Whole-school approach
Facilities, education, management, and learner participation are addressed together.
Menstrual dignity
Girls receive information, privacy, supportive systems, and practical options.
Evidence-informed
Programme design reflects global WASH guidance and local assessment.
Safeguarding and inclusion
Safety, disability access, gender, age, and vulnerability are considered.
School ownership
Learners, teachers, managers, parents, and communities help shape the programme.
Sustainability planning
Maintenance, supplies, budgeting, and accountability are built in early.
Learning-focused
The programme supports attendance, concentration, health, and equal participation.
Donor accountability
Transparent implementation, monitoring, and audited reporting strengthen confidence.
Learner, school, and partner voices
What dignity-centred school WASH feels like.
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โThe biggest change is not only the water. Our children now learn in a cleaner, safer environment, and parents feel more confident about sending them to school.โ
School headteacherSchool WASH stakeholder
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โThe menstrual health support gave girls more confidence and reduced the shame that often keeps them away from class.โ
TeacherMenstrual health programme stakeholder
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โBefore the new toilets were built, we suffered a lot. Now, we have clean toilets, and our children are healthier.โ
AminaLocal resident and WASH beneficiary
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โGirls now have a safer place, better information, and teachers they can approach without fear or embarrassment.โ
School mentorGirlsโ support programme
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โThe project involved learners, teachers, and parents. That shared ownership has made it easier to keep the facilities clean and working.โ
Board representativeSchool management stakeholder
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โThe programme combines infrastructure, education, inclusion, and accountabilityโthe elements needed for sustainable school WASH.โ
Development partnerInstitutional collaborator
Partner with Maji na Ufanisi
Help a school become a place where every learner can participate with dignity.
Your partnership can help provide safe water, clean toilets, handwashing facilities, menstrual health education, supportive materials, and stronger school systems for children who deserve a healthier learning environment.
