Terre des hommes Foundation in Romania has created, together with Arhipera, the first „Guide for integrating sanitary groups in schools in rural areas” (in Romanian only), an instrument for those who must offer this facility.
A few guides have already been sent to the National Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor and Social Potection (National Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Children and Adoptions), The Ministry of Public Health, The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration, and to several mayors in the country, the main authorities responsible for the schools in Romania.
The (free) guide is meant to encourage sustainable investments and prevent the waste of public resources, as the construction of a proper sanitary group for a school costs at least 45.000 euros. On the other hand, it is important that all entities (public and private) realize the effects of inappropriate sanitary groups on children`s lives.
In the past few years, in some schools in rural areas constructions have been made as extensions of the school building, in order to solve the problem of sanitary groups for pupils. But these outbuildings often pose architectural and technical problems, with direct effects on the lives of children (from bullying, health issues and school drop out):
- they are far from the school building (the child needs to take more than a few steps in the cold and sometimes darkness, which brings risks of aggression)
- lack of hygiene, comfort (health issues)
- access is difficult or impossible for children with physical disabilities (who often drop out of school)
Building a sanitary group for a school must be subject to certain architectural rules and quality standards, which ensure the physical safety, dignity and health of children. The author of the guide, architect conf. dr. Lorin Niculae (University of Architecture and Urbanism „Ion Mincu”, București), offers examples of errors that must be avoided: the orientation of the doors (or separating walls), which might allow visibility inside (lack of privacy) and favor aggression.
„Making poor investments is much more dangerous than the current situation”, says architect Lorin Niculae.
The guide is one of the results of the SHINE project (Support for Health, Social Infrastructure and Education ) which has been implemented by Tdh in the past 3 years for the benefit of children in Bacau County (Romania), one of the poorest regions in the country. Within this project Tdh has made 50 investments in school infrastructure, including a few sanitary groups, together with its partners and with financial support from Fondation Botnar -Switzerland.
Kirsten Theuns, Head of Eastern Europe Delegation, says: “Children everywhere, and in Romania have the right to safe, clean and well-built toilets. The lack of access to these basic sanitation facilities can have serious consequences for their present and future lives, affecting their health, school activities and general standard of living. I think this guide, besides providing technical insights for architects, construction workers, schools etc., is a useful read also for NGOs dealing with Child Rights, as they can find out more about challenges faced but also solutions posed by children, especially in rural areas of Romania.”
The guide, as a series of good practices and standards, is a useful instrument for various audiences:
•local authorities, as investors, legislative and executive bodies
• architects and engineers, construction workers and private equipment suppliers in education
• school principals and teachers in rural and urban areas
• parents and children, who must know their rights and claim them
• NGOs
Terre des hommes Foundation in Romania encourages all these social actors in Romania to consult the guide before they decide to invest or contribute to building sanitary groups in schools, whether in rural or urban areas. The 180-page guide (in Romanian) is available (free) online on the Terre des hommes website (tdh.ro) and upon request in print version (write at rou.office@tdh.ch). It can also be found in 37 communities in Bacau, where the SHINE project has been implemented.