UNICEF Makes SMPN 9 Banda Aceh a Model School for WASH Programme

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - UNICEF Indonesia has designated SMP Negeri 9 Banda Aceh as a pilot school for the implementation of a safe, climate-resilient and inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme for the Land of Rencong.

“UNICEF is simply creating a model that can be replicated by the government, and we are pleased that the Banda Aceh City Government has also committed to developing this programme,” said UNICEF Indonesia WASH Specialist Muhammad Zainal in Banda Aceh on Wednesday.

The programme is being carried out through a collaboration between UNICEF Indonesia, Yayasan Aceh Hijau, the Banda Aceh City Government, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and Wings Group Indonesia.

Zainal said the facilities built at SMP Negeri 9 were not intended to reach many schools, but rather to serve as a model that the government could apply in other schools.

He noted that maintenance is one of the challenges in managing water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools. For this reason, UNICEF has trained a team to calculate operational and maintenance costs for the facilities, including through the use of School Operational Assistance (BOS) funds.

Meanwhile, Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal said the WASH programme can deliver better sanitation facilities in schools, such as disability-friendly toilets, dedicated toilets for female students equipped with hygiene supplies, and the provision of drinking water fit for consumption through RO water installations.

“Children simply need to bring a drinking bottle from home to refill their drinking water at school. This programme supports clean and healthy living habits while also reducing the use of single-use drinking bottles,” said Illiza.

On this occasion, Nurdin, headmaster of SMP Negeri 9 Banda Aceh, said the new toilets and RO water facilities benefit the school community. With ready-to-drink water available, students can obtain safe drinking water without having to buy bottled water.

He said the school has also appointed dedicated officers to manage and maintain the RO water facilities so that they can be used over the long term.