ANNOUNCEMENTS
The report analyses the reasons behind the lack of sanitation among school going aged 5- 15 years children in villages of Kutch region. The school children are studied as the part of the community that they live in with special focus on the schools. The study area is in Kutch, Gujarat that has a problem of water scarcity. Here three out of five years are drought years. This is combined with the problem of poverty that contributes to very low sanitation in the area. The study was conducted in four villages of Kutch namely Gudthar, Pipri, Karagoga and Kotda (Athamna). The methodology included qualitative methods for primary data collection, that is, semi- structures interviews, observations and focus group discussions. The findings show that the level of sanitation among children depends upon the availability of facilities and services, awareness levels, level of sanitation of household members and the input from teachers, socio economic condition and water scenario in the village. The study revealed the overall sanitation scenario in the village did affect the child in form of peer pressure and also improvement of facilities and awareness. It was seen that schools play a crucial role not just in creating awareness but they help in habit formation that stay with the child for life. Thus it is concluded that a concerted effort needs to be made to improve sanitation among the children. Schools should be made into models of good hygiene and sanitation practices. For this collective efforts need to be made from the side of the NGO, the school authorities and the village community.
