The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in Afghanistan is implementing a project funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to improve access to clean water and promote safe hygiene practices in Jawzjan province, northern Afghanistan. The project aims to decrease the prevalence of diarrhea-type diseases by targeting 50 schools attended by 13,500 students.

“Clean water and sanitation is a serious problem in Afghanistan,” said Fabiano Franz, projects director for ADRA Afghanistan. “In urban areas, 65 percent of the population are without clean water, and 77 percent have no sanitation facilities. It’s even worse in rural areas where about 81 percent of the rural population don't have access to safe water and 92 percent are without access to sanitation facilities. As a result, Afghanistan is rife with cases of diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, and malaria,” Franz continued.

The project activities focus on installing hand-pump wells, rehabilitating existing but non-functioning wells, installing pit latrines, and providing hygiene and sanitation education in schools.

In addition to providing access to clean water and sanitation, the project will also focus on educating young people about hygiene and sanitation. Puppet theater and school posters will be used with characters such as a frog, who is the “water specialist” to teach safe hygiene practices. Educational messages will also be broadcast on local television to teach health messages and encourage families to adopt safe hygiene practices.

"The puppets teach children that clean water is key to maintaining a healthy body, the importance of hand washing and safe drinking water and how to treat water-borne illnesses like diarrhea with oral rehydration salts," stated Franz.

ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity. [Karla Leitzke for APD]