Imagine what a child does in school spending 1600 hours a year? It is an obviously a second home where the children learn civic sense, develop their habits and learn more becoming social. Besides learning books there are many other things that we learn at schools from very childhood management of resource and sanitation itself. With an objective of developing school as an ideal place to make student sensitive to human civilization and environmental values by providing adequate water and sanitation within school along with improving health and dignity of children, The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA)has been promoting blue schools all over the world. In Nepal, IRHA in partnership with Kanchan Nepal has implemented the Blue School Project in Kaksi District and the project will be introduced in Kathmandu by IRHA in collaboration with Guthi.

Prabhat High School in Tygal, Lalitpur is one of theproposed public schools in the Kathmandu to launch the Blue School Project.  At present, the school has a groundwater source, which does not fulfil the water demand. The dug well water is used for cleaning purpose while tanker water is purchased for the drinking water. The supply from dug-well is 1400 litres per week so the toilets are not well maintained.  The school has been spending Rs 3000 (US$ 30) per month for 12000 liters through tanker supply. The school is facing the extreme water scarcity as well as under the financial stress to purchase the water. Prabhat School does not have any additional financial resources to procure water if the demand goes up at it relies on the government limited grant to run the school.

On 20 September 2013, Nepali Youth at GUTHI members Karuna Thapa, Pratap Maharjan (10th Eco gen Ambassador) and myself, organized an interaction session with the students from grade 6 to 9 representing Eco-club, Children’s Club and Scout of Parbhat School to make them aware about the rainwater harvesting system and share the concept of the Blue School Project. The Blue Schools Project is to provide water and adequate sanitation within schools, and also to create a setting that will bring up a new generation, sensitive to human and citizenship values and environmental issues. Karuna Thapa during her sharing and interaction focused on the rainwater harvesting system, its benefits to the school and motivated the children?s with the examples of the blue schools in Kaski district of Nepal which further enhanced interest of students towards the project and encouraged the students gain the knowledge  on  the  rainwater  system.

During the discussion session children were asked to share their ideas how they can contribute in the RWH system in their school. They understood the usage of water in different aspects such as toilet flushing, gardening, drinking purpose, dish washing and cleaning etc. The enthusiasm of the students made us very glad. The first day session was concluded by dividing students into two groups assigning them activities based on discussion. One group was assigned to identify the potential spot of collection, storage and maintenance while the second group was assigned for the identifying the usage activities from the harvested rain and location for the maintaining the green garden. The students agreed to present their assignment on 27 September 2013.