CHILDREN from Moor Park School, Ludlow, were amazed to discover a giant toilet in Moor Park's beautiful grounds this week for a session led by international charity WaterAid on how washing your hands with soap can save lives.

The toilet arrived in Ludlow as part of WaterAid's UK tour to raise awareness of the importance of hygiene education – one of the most cost-effective health interventions.

The lively lesson saw the Year 3 class stamp colourful handprints all over the large loo, alongside the handprints of children from other schools in the country, to demonstrate how easily germs are spread and highlight the importance of washing their hands.

Every single day, 1,400 children in the developing world die as a result of diseases caused by dirty water, a lack of adequate toilets, and poor hygiene. Along with clean water and safe toilets, getting kids and adults to wash their hands regularly is vital to protect them from disease.

Chris Wainwright from WaterAid said: "Our giant toilet is a fun way of showing that things as basic as soap and water are superheroes, saving children's lives every day. For example, diarrhoea has killed 10 million children since the millennium, but the simple act of hand washing with soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoea by a half.

"We hope that today the children have had fun, understand the power of washing their hands, and know how important it is that children all around the world have access to safe, clean water to stay healthy."

Year 3 teacher, Miss Serena Taylor, said: "We ran the session with WaterAid's giant loo to remind children about the importance of hand-washing in preventing the spread of illness and disease. It's a fun way of teaching the children about hygiene whilst educating them about the serious impact the lack of hand-washing facilities can have in developing countries."

Year 3 pupil, Dora, aged seven, said: "It was great fun decorating the toilet and we learnt that other people in different parts of the world don't have toilets. They also often can't wash their hands and so can spread germs. We are lucky because we have toilets and clean water to wash our hands."

WaterAid works with the poorest and most marginalised communities in 26 countries around the developing world to set up practical and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene projects. As well as providing toilets and taps, WaterAid always promotes good hygiene behaviour to make sure that the health benefits of safe water and sanitation are maximised.

To find out more or to make a donation please visit www.wateraid.org.