NDB frontlines rainwater harvesting in rural schools to safeguard health of schoolchildren

As a responsible corporate citizen, NDB strives to make a meaningful contribution to the society through activities that uplift and empower the youth of the nation. Therefore education is one of the key strategic focal points around which NDB has structured their CSR programs.

In this direction, NDB joined hands with ‘Sri Lanka Water Partnership’ to contribute towards improving water supply and sanitation facilities of schools; thereby improving access to education and promoting good health and well-being of students as well as teachers.

Sustainable management of water resources is one of the biggest challenges of the 21 century. Forecasts predict that in 2025, more than half of the world’s population will live in regions with water scarcity. Therefore, the United Nations has declared 2013 as the International Year of Water Co-operation. The objective is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services. The economic cost of poor sanitation cannot be ignored either. Poor school sanitation leads to ill health, which deters school attendance and affects children’s right to education. Most children, especially girls fail to attend school due to poor sanitation facilities. This negative impact on education in sequence leads to a continued life of poverty.

Unfavourable sanitation facilities also affect teachers and their health. In tandem with this is the importance of access to water; a fundamental human right and necessity for good health. When access to water is improved in schools, it would help promote children’s readiness to learn, and their overall health. Many schools in the country presently do not have a reliable source of water for drinking and other use.

Identifying this as an acute need of the nation, NDB together with the Sri Lanka Water Partnership initiated rain water harvesting systems in two identified schools in the Central Province; Lagala Maha Vidyalaya and Gadaladeniya Maha Vidyalaya. Rainwater harvesting is the most sustainable method to provide a source of water for all purposes such as toilet flushing, washing hands, etc. It is one of the most promising alternatives for supplying water in the face of increasing water scarcity and escalating demand.  Against pressures on water supplies, greater environmental impact of new projects and deteriorating water quality in reservoirs; rainwater harvesting presents an opportunity for augmentation of water supplies allowing for self-reliance and sustainability. NDB also renovated the sanitary facilities of the schools in a bid to ensure better hygiene for students. The Bank hopes to extend this program which was initiated as a pilot project in the Central province, across the country in the months to come.

Evidently, investing in sanitation in schools is an investment in education and this is one of the most valuable ventures a corporate can make in the future of the nation. Education fights poverty, empowers people, uplifts families and transforms communities. Hence, NDB’s commitment to improve sanitation facilities in schools is witness to the bank’s commitment towards creating a system of compulsory schooling and solid education; which is imperative to help fight child labour and is one of the most important contributors to the nation’s economy. NDB’s wider approach to sustainability is categorised under three pillars of strategic, philanthropic and operational initiatives; out of which the Strategic initiatives revolve around entrepreneurship and education. NDB continues its efforts to empower the youth of the nation through multiple projects that place emphasis on issues that are critical for sustainable economic growth and the future success of the nation as a whole.