WASH in Schools

Access to appropriate sanitation and hygiene facilities can support children’s physical privacy and their psychosocial well-being, including through attendance at school.

Children often have a strong influence on household hygiene and sanitation behaviour. They can be ‘agents of change’ and increase the impact of WASH programmes across the wider community.

Guidelines and tools​

Red Cross Red Crescent Guidelines and tools

CHAST (Child Hygiene and Sanitation Training)

CHAST was first developed by Caritas Switzerland in Somaliland in 2002. It is inspired from the PHAST approach, and is based upon the premise that hygiene practices are largely acquired during childhood and therefore it is much easier to change children’s habits than those of adults. (Note: CHAST is copyrighted since 2014.)

CHAST is a step-by-step methodology that promotes good hygiene and sanitation practices in schools and at home by raising children’s awareness on transmission routes of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases and how to block them.

CHAST encourages ‘learning by doing’ and peer learning. It prompts the children to discuss among themselves, practice together and learn from each other, this way promoting a child-to-child approach. It is meant to be participative and fun.


Red Cross Red Crescent CHAST adaptations  

Rwanda CHAST Manual (English)
(Rwanda Red Cross and Belgium Red Cross - Flanders)

Vietnam CHAST Manual in English and Vietnamese
Full page pictures from the Vietnam CHAST Toolkit can be found here

Tool kit for adapting CHAST to a new context
(French Red Cross and Solomon Islands Red Cross)

Pakistan CHAST Instruction Sheets in Urdu and English
Pakistan CHAST pictures can be found here

CHAST Kit and Manual – Solomon Islands
(French Red Cross and Solomon Islands Red Cross)

CHAST Kit Manual – Iraq (Arabic and English)
(French Red Cross and Iraqi Red Crescent)


Red Cross Red Crescent WASH in Schools examples  

WASH Activities for School Children, Pakistan (Urdu version)
(Pakistan Red Crescent Society and German Red Cross)

WASH Activities for School Children, Pakistan (English version)
(Pakistan Red Crescent Society and German Red Cross)

External Guidelines and tools

Caritas CHAST resources (2019 editions)  

A Methodology Outline: explaining the basis of CHAST

CHAST – Facilitator’s Guide: with step-by-step guidance for facilitators

CHAST – Flipchart: visualization material

*** Note: CHAST is copyrighted since 2014. ***

Blue Schools  
UNICEF WASH in Schools monitoring package
The UNICEF WASH in Schools Monitoring Package includes:
Related Documents

Learning resources

Related Documents  
Related Pages  

To include resources on this page, or for more information on IFRC initiatives please contact: wash.geneva@ifrc.org