Blue Schools Programme

Multi country programme implemented across Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Countries include Nepal, Senegal, Ghana, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and others

Blue Schools – Rainwater for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

2005 · Ongoing

Landscape & Rainfall Context

In many low and middle income countries, schools face limited or unreliable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Climate change is intensifying water stress through longer dry seasons, erratic rainfall, floods, and contamination of water sources. According to WHO and UNICEF, more than half of schools worldwide lack soap for basic hygiene, while nearly two billion people depend on health and education facilities without basic water services. These conditions directly affect children’s health, school attendance, and learning outcomes, particularly for girls.

Project Focus

Improve health, education, and long term resilience in schools by combining rainwater harvesting, sanitation, hygiene, and environmental education through a holistic, school based approach.

Key Solutions Implemented

Rainwater harvesting systems capturing rooftop rainfall | Ferrocement cisterns, tap stations, and child friendly sanitation facilities | Hygiene promotion and menstrual health support | School gardens, tree nurseries, and reforestation activities | Waste separation, composting, and waste management practices | Environmental education linking water, soil, trees, food, and ecosystems | Participatory tools such as rainfall observation, mapping, and practical experiments | Educational materials including games, posters, and activity books

Impact snapshot / Direct beneficiaries

+ 64

schools supported directly by IRHA across 14 countries

Thousands

of students benefiting from improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene

Improved

school attendance and learning conditions, particularly for girls

Strengthened

environmental awareness among students, teachers, and surrounding communities

Blue School

concept replicated and scaled by NGOs, donors, and institutions worldwide

UNC-2017-Blue-School-Poster_Han…

Local implementation partners

Kanchan Nepal | Caritas Kaolack | Additional local partners depending on country context

Donors and supporters

Various public and private donors | Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and partners | National and local authorities depending on country context

Sustainable Development Goals

Safe, dignified learning through blue Schools

Women-led farming & decision-making

Rain for WASH

Mitigation + adaptation at the grassroots level 

Networks and global-local cooperation

Blue Schools Looking Back Monitoring reports
Senegal
Ghana
Nepal