FH Upper Austria shows how circular economy practices can help schools in Ethiopia and Ghana become cleaner and more self-sufficient

Improving living conditions across the African continent is in everyone’s best interest. The hygiene situation in schools plays a key role in health, performance, and ultimately economic well‑being. It’s about things that are taken for granted in Europe: washing hands, access to functioning toilets, and menstrual products. At the Wels Campus of FH Upper Austria, a team is working with partner universities in Ethiopia and Ghana to design model schools that operate autonomously through circular‑economy principles and provide students with a cleaner, healthier environment.

When you scale the problem to the size of the African continent and the number of schools affected, one thing becomes clear: any solution must work without permanent external funding. That’s why the focus is on innovative, completely odor‑free composting toilets that require no water. The waste collected in these systems is processed on site into safe, hygienic compost and then used to cultivate school‑owned farms.

These school farms don’t just supply fresh food—they also create a sustainable income stream. The revenue helps pay for menstrual products for girls and for the regular maintenance of sanitation facilities. The farms are designed according to agroforestry principles: by combining trees, shrubs, and crops in a smart way, they form a largely self‑sustaining ecosystem that produces fruits and vegetables year‑round while improving soil health, microclimates, and biodiversity. A recycling system separates and repurposes organic waste, glass, and plastic.

Clean schools – better education – economic autonomy
“This creates a holistic model that connects education, environmental responsibility, and economic self‑reliance — and can ultimately serve as a blueprint for sustainable school development in other regions,” explains FH‑Prof. Dipl. oec. troph. Claudia Probst, PhD, head of the Agricultural Technology and Management program at the Wels Campus. Together with colleagues from Debre Markos University in Ethiopia and the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana, she initiated the project SAFE (Integrated Hygiene and Sanitation Strategies for Enhanced Elementary School Environments in Ethiopia & Ghana).

“All students deserve a clean environment and safe sanitation facilities to support better academic performance,” summarizes Dr. Wilhemine Asare from the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment at UDS. “Our partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (‘WASH’) conditions in primary schools. Through this collaboration, we aim to establish WASH model schools in Ethiopia and Ghana that spark broader change across the region and enable future investments,” adds Dr. Deribew Tefera Zewdie, biotechnologist at Debre Markos University.

More than “just” hygiene: Breaking the stigma around menstruation for girls
Menstruation-related stigma and hygiene challenges often go hand in hand for girls in many regions. In many communities, girls and women are excluded or stigmatized because of their period.
“The menstrual taboo in many parts of Africa won’t disappear overnight. But no girl should have to miss class out of shame or due to a lack of hygiene,” emphasizes project lead Claudia Probst. Access to toilets and hygiene products in all schools should never be considered a luxury — for the phytopathologist from the Wels Campus, it is a fundamental right and essential to a girl’s future. In several countries, menstruation still leads to girls being “shut away,” or in the worst cases, dropping out of school permanently.

Bringing up‑to‑date expertise to African project partners
At FH Upper Austria, representatives from the African partner universities presented their wide range of activities during kick‑off meetings — showcasing how their scientific approaches drive development in their regions. Several excursions connected to the project topic also provided fresh input for the collaboration. Institutions such as the Gallspach Elementary School, the Transfer Center for Plastics Technology (TCKT) Wels, the ABZ Salzkammergut, and the Upper Austrian Forest Garden Institute opened their doors to the visitors. On the Wels Campus itself, workshops were held on drinking water analysis and microbial water quality.

(AI-assisted translation)