Youth Impact

Wash in Schools

In 2024 we delivered the first Trinity Challenge Youth Summit and funding competition. Through pre-summit engagement and in event polling, young people around the world selected WASH in Schools as the focus of the first competition and campaigns. Meet the teams below and find out more about their community impact.

Bridging Traditions – India

The Bridging Traditions campaign fused scientific knowledge with cultural wisdom by engaging traditional healers and students in rural India to discuss antibiotic misuse and One Health. Through 47 workshops, the team trained youth ambassadors, formed health clubs in eight schools, and launched an antibiotic-free poultry demo farm. Their creative materials, including banners and posters, helped bridge generational knowledge gaps, reaching over 1,370 students and nearly 100 parents and educators.

Handwashing Heroes – Ecuador & Guatemala

The Handwashing Heroes campaign in Ecuador and Guatemala empowered children and young people to champion hygiene and prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through creative, school-based education. Across four schools, students learned proper handwashing techniques, antibiotic awareness, and shared these practices with families and peers. Supported by local universities and the Ministry of Education, the team delivered 32 workshops, ran interactive exhibitions, and engaged communities through social media, reaching over 2,000 online viewers. By combining playful learning with scientific knowledge, Handwashing Heroes strengthened hygiene habits and built lasting awareness of AMR prevention across participating schools.

JE-RAM Rural Communities – Ecuador & Guatemala

The JE-RAM Rural Communities campaign brought preventive health education and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) awareness to rural Ecuador through a vibrant mix of art, science, and community action. Over 200 children aged 5–12 learned about hygiene, the microbiome, and responsible antibiotic use through playful workshops led by trained university volunteers. Pre- and post-intervention surveys showed improved understanding of AMR and hygiene habits, while a co-created mural and handwashing station turned learning into a lasting symbol of community pride. The project reached over 22,000 people online through its social media campaign, highlighting how collaboration between students, universities, and local authorities can turn small-scale education into sustainable impact.

WASH Away AMR – Nepal

WASH Away AMR brought together students, educators, and families across three schools and three municipalities in Nepal, using storytelling, games, and pledges to educate on the link between hand hygiene and antimicrobial resistance. With nearly 320 students and 20 teachers directly engaged, the team also extended their reach through a strong social media presence and engaging key stakeholders to support the campaign. Their work highlighted the power of peer education and creative methods to start local conversations about global health.

WASH off AMR – Nigeria

WASH off AMR tackled hygiene and antibiotic awareness in 79 Nigerian schools, engaging over 30,000 students and 354 teachers with a train the trainer programme, setting up WASH off AMR clubs and interactive sessions. The team trained young champions to lead workshops and collaborated with community leaders to deliver sessions on proper hygiene practices and lead information campaigns. Their approach combined grassroots mobilisation with mass communication to embed healthy behaviours in everyday life.

WASH Champions – Uganda

In Uganda, WASH Champions built AMR awareness through workshops, competitions and training sessions. They managed to engage with 100 schools, reaching 100’s of students and creating advocates beyond the classroom and into the community. As well as the training and learning element of their campaign they donated 3 x 10,000-litre water tanks to the most vulnerable schools. Their model demonstrated how combining school-based learning with infrastructure support can increase understanding and use and encourages long-term behaviour change.

WASH Heroes: kids in action – Kazakhstan

WASH Heroes launched Kazakhstan’s first youth-led AMR campaign, blending digital innovation with classroom-based games and storytelling. They delivered in person sessions with learners aged 11-12. They ran an awareness campaign focusing on antimicrobial resistance, WASH and One Health. Running on two social media platforms (Instagram and TikTok), the campaign aimed to raise awareness among a wide audience, particularly parents and teenagers. They created and shared a series of short, visually appealing videos and posts. They also worked with healthcare experts conducting interviews to publish online.

Educating for Behaviour Change

Later in 2025 we moved forward with the third Trinity Challenge Youth Summit and Competition, this time focused on ‘Educating for Behaviour Change’. As the first and second summits and competitions had focused on individual topics in human health and animal health we felt we wanted to broaden the topic areas and apply a behaviour change lens to the campaign approach.

Under the broad banner of ‘educating for behaviour change’ we selected 6 categories:

1. Community Health
2. Food Chain
3. Livestock Animals
4. Companion Animals
5. Environment
6. Language

Winners of this competition will be announced in early 2026 and we look forward to seeing the impact in action. Follow our social media channels for regular updates.