World Toilet Day, Creating Safe Spaces for Every Child
Each World Toilet Day is an opportunity to highlight how access to safe sanitation can transform lives, improving health and education for millions of people around the world.
At Village Water, we know that clean, safe toilets are more than just facilities; they create lasting change, improving health, confidence, and opportunity. In schools, a toilet can be the difference between a child staying healthy and thriving or falling behind due to preventable illness.
Globally, over 696 million people still live without safely managed sanitation. For children, this often means learning in environments without clean toilets or proper handwashing facilities. The consequences are serious:
- Children miss vital learning time due to illness.
- Girls skip school during their periods or drop out altogether.
- Classrooms become unsafe and unhygienic places to learn.
Village Water is working with schools and communities in rural Zambia and Mozambique to change this reality. Together with our local partners, we’re creating environments where children can learn, play, and grow in safety and health.
Our projects focus on three key areas:
- Build safe, accessible toilets with handwashing stations.
- Provide hygiene education so children understand how to stay healthy.
- Support menstrual hygiene management for girls, ensuring privacy and dignity.
When schools have clean toilets, attendance improves, health outcomes rise, and confidence flourishes, particularly among girls. Teachers report happier classrooms, parents notice fewer sick days, and children are able to focus on learning and play.
From midday 2nd December to midday 9th December, your donation to Village Water will go twice as far during the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Every pound you give will be doubled at no extra cost to you, helping us reach even more schools and children with life-changing sanitation and safe water. Make your pledge at www.villagewater.org/big-give .
Together, we can ensure that every child has a safe place to go, and a fair chance to grow, learn, and thrive.