The project will be based in the Sedibeng District municipality of Gauteng Province which has a population of approximately 1,100,000 within its three local municipalities of eMfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi. Water supply and provision of sanitation in the district have historically been stressed, with less than 70% of population having access to piped water and only 20% having access to water within 200 m of their households. This low water and sanitation delivery rate extends to schools, an area in which there has been lack of public investment. A lack of clean water, decent toilets and handwashing facilities in schools increases the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid, which contributes to poor health and recurrent sickness amongst children and their parents. This has a direct effect on education as children miss school due to frequent illness. Diarrhoea and respiratory infections are a major public health problem in South Africa and are amongst the top causes of death of children. Respiratory and diarrheal infections ranked the second and third leading causes of death amongst the under-5 population and rated the third and fourth biggest killers in children between ages 5-14 years .1. Handwashing with soap shows the greatest reduction in diarrhoea morbidity (over 40%) and prevents 23% of respiratory infections 2. , which makes it the first line of defense in addressing COVID-19 in schools and communities. A youth risk behavior survey in South Africa revealed that only 61% of students and young people between the ages of 8-11 wash their hands before eating, which makes handwashing education in schools so important. New data from the WHO shows that if you implement water, sanitation and hygiene interventions together, they can deliver a 12 % additional reduction in diarrheal disease over implementing them separately. 3.This is why WaterAid has prioritized a holistic approach to WASH provision in schools and communities. COVID-19 is now posing an additional challenge and burden to health services in South Africa, making investment in WASH infrastructure even more vital in the effort to decrease water borne diseases and allow health services to be better prepared to respond to global outbreaks. At the same time climate change means a more uncertain future, increasing hardship and vulnerability especially for the poorest communities. As climate-vulnerable communities experience impacts such as changing weather patterns, less predictable rainfall and increased exposure to disease, access to WASH represents a critical aspect of a communities resilience. ____________________________ 1. Stats SA Mortality and causes of death in South Africa, findings from death notification, MR, 2nd Burden of Disease Study 2. Rabie T, Curtis V. Evidence that handwashing prevents respiratory tract infection: a systematic review. Trop Med Int Health 2006; 11: 1Ð10. 3. World Health Organization, 2014. Preventing diarrhoea through better water, sanitation and hygiene: exposures and impacts in low-and middle-income countries. World Health Organization.