By Bistra Mihaylova & Verena Demmelbauer | Sep 20 – 21, 2021

We were very happy that finally another project trip could take place. This time we went to Albania to continue our Water and Sanitation Safety Planning (WSSP) activities at two schools – of course under the appropriate Covid-precautions. Our two great Albanian project partners (Milieukontakt Albania and Woman in Development) had organized Trainings of Trainers at schools in different regions – one near the capital Tirana and one in a rural region near Shkodra.

The purpose of the training was to increase the knowledge of the 18 participants on WSSP, its role and how to carry out the activities in several schools in rural and semi-urban communities. In addition to the theory, a practical segment showed how to measure the nitrate concentration of different water sources and how the spread of germs can be illustrated under UV light.

Some teachers shared their experiences of running activities among the school project “Water around our neighbours”, where students from the 7th grade visited existing springs near Tirana. To link our project to these activities, the teachers will soon also test the relevant sources for nitrate concentration.

Spontaneously, background knowledge on menstrual health management (MHM) was also presented at the request of the teachers in both schools and the topic was discussed together.

We were very happy to see the commitment and active participation of the teachers in both regions where the project is implemented. WSSP continues to be part of the curriculum  in  the “Vraka” school in Malesia e Madhe in the region of Shkodra, where teachers and students already have many years/long term of experience with the topic. The activities in the school in Tirana started in 2020 with the introduction of the WSSP to the lessons of grades 5-7. We hope that these activities will contribute to a long-term improvement of the drinking water and sanitation situation in Albania.