The inauguration of a new school in Iacobeni village in Romania's Iasi County means its children now have access to clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and effective, safe heating.

More than 40 children will benefit from the US$50,000 renovation project funded by World Vision Romania with the support of local authorities and keen involvement of some 50 Iacobeni villagers.

'Built over a century ago, the school had seen very few improvements over the years and was functioning as a kindergarten as well. There was no access to clean, running water in the village and the children had to go outside to use the so-called bathroom', said Ms Darie, World Vision Romania Project Coordinator.

She added, 'I remember asking one of the children from the kindergarten where he used to go to wash his hands. He just looked at me for a moment, troubled, and responded timidly, 'home, where else? I wasn't ignorant of their problems but hearing that child … I think that was when I fully realised how much the village needed us'.

People in the village were getting sick because of the bad quality of the water drawn from wells. Something needed to be done', Darie concluded.

The new water system functions by channelling water springs from a hill through pipes into the village. Community members dug the ditch for the pipe work themselves and helped install the septic tank and walls for the new toilets.

A new central heating system was also installed to replace the old system, which was both unsanitary and dangerous, circulating chemical substances that were causing digestive and respiratory illnesses.

The introduction of clean sanitation facilities for the school and village is expected to improve both school and work attendance and productivity – good news for the continued development of Iacobeni.

Improvements also coincide with this International Year of Sanitation, where the international community is being encouraged to step up sanitation programmes, not just the introduction of clean drinking water- recognising that proper hand-washing, can halve the global rate of diarrheal disease and respiratory tract infections (World Vision Global Future edition one, 2008).

World Vision Romania began working in Iasi County over ten years ago in five communities. Since then, more than 3,000 children and their families involved in the 'Help Children to Hope' Project have received assistance with food, clothing, medicine, training courses and educational seminars etc.

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For more information on sanitation and how World Vision is addressing this global crisis, visit:
http://www.globalfutureonline.org/PolicyAdvocacy/GlblFutr.nsf/issues/3F0BE93BB67E380788257412003F5A18/$File/GF081web.pdf?OpenElement