Together for better hygiene
Social project 2023 for Geberit apprentices
The sanitary conditions at the Ananda School in the Indian town of Hudarait were miserable. Eleven Geberit apprentices install toilets and washbasins in the school's new washroom wing.
Installing the sanitary facilities at the Ananda School in India is a double challenge, says Tobias Lacher, Geberit apprentice from Rapperswil Jona (CH): “On the one hand, none of us have learned the profession of plumber, and on the other hand, the conditions on site are particularly difficult.“ For example, the walls are crooked. Some have to be bricked up first.
No running water in the kitchen
But the eleven Geberit apprentices who are traveling to Hudarait in West Bengal (East India) as part of the 2023 social project are mastering the task with flying colors. Their help is also urgently needed: the school's sanitary infrastructure includes four squat toilets, a toilet with a toilet bowl, four urinals and two washbasins. 246 kindergarten and primary school children share these sanitary facilities every day. In addition, the water is pumped from the water tank to the sanitary facilities using an underpowered pump. There is no running water at all in the school kitchen.
A new washroom wing
Under the supervision of Remo Zwick, Technical Manager, and Vreni Schweizer, HR Business Partner, the apprentices are installing facilities for 11 toilets for the pupils, 4 toilets for the teaching staff, urinals, washbasins and a shower in the new washroom wing at Ananda School. The kitchen will also be equipped with running water. The energy for the improved water pump is generated by new solar panels.
However, the two-week stay in Hudarait, India, is more than just a building project. It is also a cultural exchange. They play and learn together. Geberit apprentices take part in lessons at the school - and the Indian pupils learn the most important hygiene rules. Tobias Lacher: “The project shows us how important it is to get involved socially and make a contribution to society.“
A Geberit tradition
Every year since 2008, Geberit apprentices have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their team spirit, their willingness to learn and the skills they have acquired in a project for the benefit of social institutions in poorer countries. Geberit provides the material and the apprentices install it under technical supervision. Many of them are working on a construction site for the first time as part of the social project.