Research shows that girls often miss school due to inadequate menstruation facilities. Construction of twelve new menstrual health management (MHM) toilets that will help ensure that girls can attend school during menstruation has commenced at the Kampong Thom High School in Cambodia. The Rotary Club of Camberwell has partnered with the Running water project to deliver these facilities supported by a District Grant from the Rotary Foundation.
Kampong Thom High School is the largest school in the Cambodian province of Kampong Thom, and despite having 3,133 students and 136 teachers, it currently has only 48 functioning toilets—well below the World Health Organisation's recommended standards for a school of this size. The project involves the construction of 2 blocks of 6 MHM toilets and 2 blocks of 10 urinals. With this new construction, the number of functioning toilets and urinals will increase by 25%, significantly enhancing both the school's WASH and MHM facilities, reducing the prevalence of communicable diseases and increasing attendance rates.
The addition of twelve MHM toilets is especially critical for female students, as research shows that girls often miss school due to inadequate menstruation facilities. These new toilets will help ensure that girls can attend school during menstruation. Moreover, the new urinals will ease the pressure on male toilets, allowing some to be repurposed for female use.
Construction of the 4 new toilet blocks commenced in early January, with completion expected by the end of February. This construction project is the first stage of a broader, multi-phase WASH master plan for Kampong Thom High School. The design of these MHM toilets and urinals incorporates the latest advancements, ensuring maximum safety, usability and hygiene.
This is the 11th joint project between Rotary Camberwell and the Running water project. To date, Rotary Club of Camberwell has provided over AUD43,600 for various WASH improvements in schools throughout Kampong Thom Province since 2019, positively impacting thousands of students. Its commitment to improving educational conditions in Cambodia has been invaluable. The cost of this Kampong Thom High School upgrade is approximately USD20,000, with funds provided by the Rotary Club of Camberwell, the Running water project and supported by a District Grant from the Rotary Foundation.
Since completing its first project in 2016, the $160,000 AUD raised by the Running water project and its supporters has been spent in 72 schools helping more than 20,000 students and teachers. This includes: 30 water tanks and pumps, over 100 toilets built or converted to support menstrual health management and 60 urinals (to provide greater access to toilets for female teachers and students) and over 80 hand basins installed or renovated.
The Club would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all those involved in making Running water project’s undertakings a reality, including the Provincial Education Department of Kampong Thom, local communities, principals, teachers, students, The Rotary Foundation, Running water project’s many supporters and their dedicated team of Cambodian builders. Special thanks go to Mr. Ho Sivuthy (Deputy Director of Health in the Provincial of Education) and Mr. Vann Narith (Principal of Porpel Primary School), who volunteer as project and construction managers in their spare time to deliver the Running water projects. And a further thanks to the ongoing efforts of Susie Lachal as the Executive Director of the Running water project, who has had a long association with our Club.
This project is our 11th joint project with the Running water project to improve WASH and MHM in schools in Kampong Thom. Prior to this project Camberwell Rotary has provided over AUD43,000 for the following projects:
2024 April - AUD5,000 – Project 40 - Stung Sen HS[1] 4 MHM toilets
2023 Oct - AUD5,000 - Project 42 - Hun Sen Sandarn HS 4 MHM toilets
2022 Dec - AUD2,100 - Project 16 – Trapaing Thmor Kinder 1 toilet, tank, stand, pipes, pump and hand basin
2022 Oct - AUD5,000 Project 15 – Trapaing Pring PS repairs; Phum Thnal PS handbasins; Trapaing Aret SS repaired female toilet block, added urinals to boys’ block and hand basins to both; Phan Nheum Secondary School – tank, stand, pipes and pump; Porpel PS repairs to toilet and tank stand
2021 Oct - AUD1,500 Project 12 – Vos Veng SS tank, stand, pipes, pump and hand basins
2021 Feb - AUD5,000 Project 11 - Krang Deum PS repaired 2 toilets, tank, stand, pipes and pump and added hand basins
2020 Sept - AUD5,000 – Project 10 - Trapaing Pring PS 2 new toilets, renovated 3 toilets and added 5 hand basins; District Grant of AUD1,250
2020 Mar - AUD5,000 – Project 8 - Boepung PS tank, stand, pipes, pump and hand basins; Peam Kreang PS and SS tank, stand, pipes, pump and hand basins; Ta Am PS tank, stand, pipes, pump and hand basins
2019 Dec - AUD5,000 Project 7 – Porpel PS water filter; Roussey Douch PS 3 handbasins and pipes; Koh Ky PS 2 hand basins and pipes, well cover, hose; Phum Svey PS 2 hand basins, pipes and well cover; Phum Thnar PS 2 hand basins, hand pump for well, pipes and well cover; Prasat Balang HS large electric pump (due to high numbers in school) 2 hand basins, pipes; Vos Veng PS & SS PS tank and stand pipes and pump, hand basin for girls, SS repair toilets, replace pipes, cover septic tanks; Trapaing Beak PS repairs to pipes, toilets and well cover; Chey PS diesel pump and repairs
2019 July - AUD5,000 Project 5 – Wa Yoev PS electrical connection, pipes, pump, hand basins and repairs; Trepaing Pdeak PS tank and stand, pipes and pump and repairs and hand basin; Chey PS tank, stand, pipes, pump, hand basins and electrical connection, hand basin; Prey Top PS pipes and hand basins; Stung Sen HS 6 handbasins and pipes; Chumnar PS hand basin and pipes; Ou Krou Kei PS electric pump; Atsu PS and SS tank, stand and pipes.
[1] HS – high school Yr 7-12, SS – secondary school Yr 7-10, PS – primary school grades 1-6
Mr. Ho Sivuthy trying to find the location of a toilet block in amongst the hindreds of motorbikes and scooters
Materials arriving on site 3 Jan 2025
Acknowledgement sign at school front gate
Foundations for first block of 6 MHM toilets
Construction progressing of first block of MHM toilets – 11 Jan
Rendering in progress 15 Jan
Progress on second block of 6 MHM toilets – 15 Jan
Foundation for first of two blocks of urinals