Urvashi Prasad, Consultant, has completed her Masters degree in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, specializing in Urban and Rural Community development.
Her work experience ranges from Programme planning and implementation in the areas of Environment Education, School Sanitation and Rural Development to Networking and Advocacy on various social issues. She was closely involved as a member of the Documentation Committee in organizing the South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SAOCASAN III) organized by the Department of Drinking Water Supply in 2008
Appointed by UNICEF, in her current assignment as Consultant, School Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE) with the Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development she has been closely involved in strengthening the School Sanitation programme through capacity building, documentation and preparation of technical notes, status papers, information booklets, resource material on SSHE and Total Sanitation Campaign.
School Sanitation and Hygiene Education as one of the key components of the Total Sanitation Campaign(TSC) aims to ensure children’s right to safe, hygienic and child friendly learning environment by providing sanitation infrastructure in Government schools in rural areas, coupled with hygiene education imparted by trained and capable teachers. The paper being presented by her addresses the key achievements of SSHE programme, a few critical issues for scaling up while retaining the quality of the programme: a great challenge given the currently available institutional support, capacity and skills.