Starting from 2007 NGO “MAMA-86-Yaremche” has been conducting case study of water supply and waste water collection problems as well as access to sanitation in schools and preschool institutions in Yaremche region.

18 educational institutions that have 4663 pupils operate in Yaremche City Council area:

• 9 schools;
• 1 boarding school, an inter-school educational-industrial complex;
• 5 kindergartens;
• 2 preschool institutions;
• 3 children’s health centers (540 beds) — Ministry of Health;
• 4 children’s summer camps (795 seats) — Departmental.

Almost every institution has some problems to a greater or lesser extent. However children with disabilities or children from disadvantaged backgrounds from boarding school have a special focus of attention. Therefore Mykulychyn special boarding school, that have 108 pupils, 47 teachers and 29 technical staff, has become a place for a project “Clean water for children” (funded by Women for Water Partnership, WfWP) implementation.

A new local water supply network has been built for school recently. Deep borehole (15 m) and a well (8 m) are the sources of drinking water in this newly built network. There was no lack of drinking water even during dry periods due to these two sources and batch capacity.

However numerous studies of water quality have shown the stable bacteriological pollution. Coli-index reached 1100 (with norm of 3). This situation required technical solution, that is, an installation of additional cleaning system for drinking water.

Aim of the project:

To attract the attention of local authorities and involve all stakeholders in the solving of problems of insurance of children in Yaremche region with safe drinking water and implementation of practical measures.

Planned measures:

1)      Information and education activities

• seminars for pupils of Mykulychyn secondary boarding school and Mykulychyn secondary school on safe water assurance;
• round table discussion with representatives of educational institutions of Yaremche region, local authority, SES representatives and NGOs about state of water supply in schools in the region;
• dissemination of information materials;
• children’s monitoring of water quality in wells;
• printing of information leaflets;
• engaging the media.

2)      Technical solutions — additional cleaning of drinking water in Mykulychyn special boarding secondary school

• conducting full chemical and bacteriological analyses in borehole and well;
• installment of additional system for drinking water cleaning.

After retesting water meets the standard (Coli-index less than 3).

The cooperation of all stakeholders in water and sanitation still continues. Round table conducted in the frame of the project “Clean drinking water for children” was held on September 22, 2010. NGO “MAMA-86-Yaremche” together with Yaremche Department of Education and Ivano-Frankivs’k oblast SES discussed problems in supply of drinking water and sanitation to school during this meeting.

We are currently preparing proposals to develop local program for improving access to drinking water and sanitation in schools and preschool institutions in Yaremche region. Representatives of all educational institutions took part in the discussion of urgent problems in water and sanitation; they expressed their vision to change the situation for the better.

Yaremche local authorities support the initiative of local program development, which will be the part of existing oblast program. We hope that local program will be approved during next session of the City Council.