Cricket 4 WASH - Nepal

Cricket 4 WASH brings together play, health education, and youth leadership to turn knowledge into everyday healthy behaviour. Developed in Nepal, the programme uses cricket-based games to teach young people about water, sanitation, and hygiene in ways that are active, social, and memorable.

At the heart of the programme is the Cricket + WASH Playbook, a six-session curriculum co-designed with communities to address the WASH issues young people face most. Sessions cover themes including safe water, handwashing, toilets, menstrual hygiene, shared responsibility, and WASH as a right. Each topic is taught through cricket games, teamwork challenges, and discussion, helping young people practise healthy behaviours rather than just learn about them.

During the pilot in Karjanha Municipality, 90 students took part in the full programme. Pre- and post-surveys showed large improvements in WASH knowledge, with harmful misconceptions replaced by healthy understanding. Importantly, WASH behaviour changed also: after six sessions, twice as many young people were washing their hands with soap and water, one of the most effective ways to prevent waterborne illness.

The Cricket + WASH Playbook works by embedding learning in play and relationships. Coaches and teachers are trained to deliver cricket, but also to lead health conversations in ways that are trusted and youth-friendly. By making WASH visible, social, and normal, the programme empowers young people to become WASH role models in their schools, families, and communities, making cricket a powerful driver of healthier lives.