Page 112 - Swachhata Chronicles – Transformative Tales from India (eBook)

OSSS WASH MITRAS
ENSURE TIMELY REPAIR
AND MAINTENANCE OF
WASH FACILITIES
n order to ensure the sustainability of
ODF Plus assets, the ‘One-Stop Shop and
IServices (OSSS) WASH Mitra’ initiative in
Maharashtra provides comprehensive skill
training to young individuals in the field of
WASH facility repair and maintenance.
Sanitation and hygiene in schools are crucial
for enhancing student learning, reducing
dropout rates (especially among girls),
improving children’s health, and preventing
diseases. However, educational institutions
lacking adequate WASH facilities along with
faulty electrical fittings, broken furniture,
blocked drains, and leaking pipes, as well
as poor O&M practices, cannot effectively
achieve their goals.
To address the challenges related to WASH
infrastructure upkeep in schools, Pratham
Education Foundation (PEF), Centre for
92 Swachhata Chronicles: Transformative Tales from India
Youth Development and Activities (CYDA),
and UNICEF Maharashtra collaborated to
launch the OSSS WASH Mitra initiative. This
initiative aimed to address the demand
for O&M services in government schools
through Young WASH Entrepreneurs (YWEs)
who serve as service providers in schools,
institutions and GPs across 14 Districts
of Maharashtra.
OSSS WASH Mitra played a vital role in
ensuring the functionality of WASH facilities
in schools, enabling students to stay in
school, build lifelong hygiene habits, and
maintain good health. By doing so, the OSSS
initiative also supported SBM-G and JJM by
building a workforce of young individuals
who could enhance WASH services and
contribute to ongoing efforts aimed at
improving hygiene and facility maintenance.