CHAST

CHAST is a hygiene promotion method for children initially developed by Caritas in Somalia in 2002.

Based on a participatory approach, children themselves identify hygiene problems they face at school and in their families. They are then guided to find solutions and put them into practise.

Very playful, appreciated by the children, teachers and facilitators, CHAST's implementation is made in approximately ten one-hour sessions per class over a semester.

It is important to complement the CHAST sessions by reinforcing the water and sanitation infrastructures in school so that the children have the means to apply the good hygiene practices they themselves have identified.

The CHAST kit includes posters, pictures, games and a manual for the facilitator. These materials need to be adapted to the context in which the children live. The images should look similar to their environment so that they can identify with the characters and transpose the CHAST situations into their daily lives. The adaptation process takes about 6 months for a hygiene expert with local hygiene promoters.