From 1st october 2025, in one of Blantyre’s primary schools, a quiet transformation is taking place. What started as a few concerned conversations about the state of the toilets has now grown into a movement of creativity, and change led by learners themselves.
The NIHR Global Health Research Group on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, in collaboration with partners from MUBAS (through WASHTED), Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), and the University of Strathclyde, is piloting a Trial of Improved Practices (TIPs) to make school toilets cleaner, safer, and more welcoming.
The project tackles a sensitive but important challenge; the smearing of feces on toilet walls and defecating beside drop holes. These are not just hygiene issues; they reflect deeper gaps in awareness, comfort, and access to proper sanitation resources.
To find lasting solutions, the project team began by listening. Through baseline data collection, learners shared their experiences, challenges, and ideas about sanitation at school. This understanding has helped shape an intervention package that’s not only practical but also creative and child-friendly.
Among the exciting activities introduced are:
- Painting murals on walls around the school, carrying bright messages of sanitation
- Anal cleansing material collection and dispensing points, ensuring cleanliness and dignity for every learner.
- Sanitation messages shared during assemblies and class discussions, keeping hygiene at the heart of daily school life.
- Toilet repainting and beautification, making the facilities inviting and easier to maintain.
Step by step, learners are embracing these changes, turning once-neglected spaces into clean, cared-for environments. Teachers and sanitation club members are playing a key role too, guiding discussions and encouraging everyone to take responsibility.
Through this pilot, NIHR hopes to build a model that other schools can adopt, one that blends research, creativity, and community spirit to improve sanitation and protect learner health. Because when children learn the value of cleanliness and respect for shared spaces, the impact goes far beyond the school walls.
Every painted wall, every clean floor, and every shared message tells a powerful truth: real change begins when children believe they can create it. From these small acts of cleanliness are rising lessons in leadership that will ripple far beyond the schoolyard, shaping healthier habits, stronger communities, and brighter futures.
