Operation and Maintenance Financing for School WASH Facilities in Tajikstan

This is a case study on the financing for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of school WASH facilities in Tajikstan, based on a review of documents, key informant interviews and visits to 10 government secondary schools in five rural districts of Khatlon province.

Tajikistan has developed the resource setting for WASH in schools to some extent since its civil war ended in 1997. However, rural schools reported not receiving any operation and management support from their local administration other than school monitoring by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Center. Furthermore, annual school budgets do not include the maintenance of WASH. In schools represented, facilities were generally only partially functional, unclean and lacking soap for handwashing.