Worldwide, the leading cause of death for children under five is water and sanitation related diseases. In the communities COTN serves,
that number continues to decrease thanks in part to the W.A.S.H. program, which educates families about three crucial areas of health—
water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Want to see how it works? Here’s a peek into several of the villages COTN serves in Malawi. These families are embracing new methods
and seeing positive results!
W.A.S.H. club meetings are held in each village COTN serves in Malawi. During each meeting members learn new lessons, ask questions, and
give updates.
Colored cups have become a popular hygiene practice. To avoid spreading germs, each family member is given their own colored cup for drinking.
In some of the W.A.S.H. clubs, members combined their money to purchase colored cups and water buckets for the members.
Many homes now have homemade dish-drying shelves. The racks are built up high so domestic animals can’t reach the clean dishes and often placed
over small garden plots to conserve water.
Many W.A.S.H. members have built hand-washing stations out of local materials for their homes. Members are teaching their families to use these
stations after going to the restroom.
Water is precious, especially during the dry season. Many families have set up their hand-washing stations near their gardens to conserve water.
These fuel-saving ovens are helping families decrease the amount of wood needed to cook. W.A.S.H. members are also encouraged to plant trees to
help replenish this natural resource.
Graduation day! After members complete all of the W.A.S.H. lessons, they receive a certificate. Club members feel proud of their accomplishments
and are excited about the progress they see. Many members are already sharing stories about how this project has positively affected their families!