WASH and Sanitation Survey in Community-Based Childcare Centres – Thyolo and Chikwawa, Malawi (2021)

This dataset provides detailed information on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) conditions and related management practices in Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs) across Thyolo and Chikwawa Districts in Malawi, collected in 2021. Data were gathered by BASEflow using the mWater digital data collection platform.

The dataset contains metadata about the survey, including the geographical location of CBCCs, water sources and their functionality, sanitation infrastructure, hygiene practices, governance and management structures, funding mechanisms, cleanliness levels, and the availability of hygiene education and promotional materials.

Intended Users and Applications

1. Local Government and Health Authorities: To monitor WASH conditions, inform resource allocation, and design targeted interventions within Thyolo’s CBCCs.

2. CBCC Management and Caregivers: To identify gaps and improve maintenance, hygiene practices, and infrastructure.

3. NGOs and Development Partners: To support planning, implementation, and evaluation of WASH programs aligned with community needs and WHO standards.

4. Researchers and Policy Makers: To study the relationship between WASH facilities and child health outcomes for evidence-based decision-making.

5. Donors and Funders: To assess infrastructure needs and measure impact of funded WASH initiatives.

Installation

You can install the development version of thyolocbcc from GitHub with:

# install.packages("devtools")
devtools::install_github("openwashdata/thyolocbcc")

## Run the following code in console if you don't have the packages
## install.packages(c("dplyr", "knitr", "readr", "stringr", "gt", "kableExtra"))
library(dplyr)
library(knitr)
library(readr)
library(stringr)
library(gt)
library(kableExtra)

Alternatively, you can download the individual datasets as a CSV or XLSX file from the table below.

1. Click Download CSV. A window opens that displays the CSV in your browser.
2. Right-click anywhere inside the window and select “Save Page As…”.
3. Save the file in a folder of your choice.

dataset	CSV	XLSX
thyolocbcc	Download CSV	Download XLSX

Data

The package provides access to Community-Based Childcare Centres (CBCCs) in Thyolo District, focusing on critical Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and practices

library(thyolocbcc)

thyolocbcc

The dataset thyolocbcc contains 118 observations and 98 variables

thyolocbcc |> 
  head(3) |> 
  gt::gt() |>
  gt::as_raw_html()

submitted_on	district	enrollment_male_total	enrollment_female_total	enrollment_male_disability	enrollment_female_disability	latitude	longitude	photo_cbcc	cbcc_has_water	main_water_source	water_source_available_now	water_source_functional_status	breakdown_cause	breakdown_past_12_months	breakdown_fixed_date	distance_water_market_magnitude	distance_water_market_unit	water_available_year_round	alternative_water_source	water_supply_satisfaction	why_not_satisfied_water	complaint_about_water	alt_water_available_now	distance_alt_water_magnitude	distance_alt_water_unit	main_water_50m_from_contaminants	water_treatment_method	water_treatment_method_other	treatment_meets_who_standards	last_microbacteria_test_date	microbacteria_test_result_fcu	water_quality_meets_who	water_mgmt_committee_available	committee_trained_on_maintenance	committee_functional	committee_functional_comments	operation_funds_available	funds_amount_account	funds_source	other_source_of_funds	financial_records_kept	has_wash_plan_budget	additional_comments_1	usable_toilets_for_kids	girls_toilet_total	boys_toilet_total	usable_toilets_for_staff	male_staff_toilet_total	female_staff_toilet_total	toilet_for_physically_challenged	toilet_for_adolescent_girls	toilets_visibly_clean	toilet_cleaning_frequency	toilet_cleaning_frequency_other	handwashing_at_toilets	complaint_about_sanitation	complaint_recipient	group_handwashing_station	group_handwashing_count	soap_water_at_handwash	toilet_has_ventilation	toilets_within_30m_cbcc	open_defecation_near_cbcc	has_waste_bins	waste_bins_count	solid_waste_management	solid_waste_management_other	surrounding_clean	dialogue_on_wash_issues	last_wash_inspection	cbcc_provides_meals	kitchen_sanitary_condition	kitchen_sanitary_condition_other	additional_comments_2	cbcc_cleaning_frequency	cleaning_materials_used	surface_detergent_available	disinfection_tools_available	hygiene_poster_visible	daily_group_handwashing	caregiver_wash_training	handwashing_in_cbcc	soap_water_available_now	demonstrate_handwashing	soap_stock_available	soap_provider	learners_hygiene_education	hand_hygiene_protocol_visible	slts_triggered	wash_teaching_by_caregivers	hygiene_iec_materials	key_handwashing_times	key_handwashing_times_other	iec_materials_for_training	wash_improvement_equipment	wash_improvement_equipment_other	additional_comments_3
8/23/2021	Thyolo	15	20	0	1	-15.92277	35.08664	https://api.mwater.co/v3/images/6c1b9a1e906249ff9ee65cb9308f190b	Yes	Borehole or tubewell	No	Not functional	NA	NA	3/24/2021	100	metres	Yes	NA	Slightly Satisfied.	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	No	Other	Covered in bucket	No	No	NA	No	No	NA	NA	NA	No	NA	Community contribution	NA	No	No	NA	Yes	4	4	No	0	0	No	No	No	Daily	NA	Yes	NA	NA	No	0	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	NA	NA	No	Yes	Within the year	Yes	Other	Not available	NA	Daily	Bloom	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Owner	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	After visiting the toilet	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
8/25/2021	Thyolo	25	20	1	0	-15.94189	35.07246	https://api.mwater.co/v3/images/865904ba18804e5cbd8fc076a9e6912e	No	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	8	Kms	No	Borehole or tubewell	NA	NA	NA	Yes	200	Meters	No	Chlorine/water guard	NA	Yes	Never tested	NA	No	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	No	School has no borehole	No	0	0	No	0	0	No	No	Yes	Daily	NA	No	NA	NA	No	0	No	No	Yes	No	No	NA	Burns it	NA	Yes	Yes	Within the month	No	Other	Not applicable	School has no Toilets they are using owners house Toilets	Daily	Water	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
9/13/2021	Thyolo	20	13	0	0	-15.86196	35.13385	https://api.mwater.co/v3/images/3daeeef070064ab2afcfd5a4578dbfdb	No	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	100	metres	No	Borehole or tubewell	NA	NA	NA	Yes	100	Meters	Yes	Other	Direct use from water point	No	Never tested	NA	No	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	Not	NA	No	0	0	No	0	0	No	No	No	NA	NA	No	NA	NA	No	0	No	No	No	No	No	NA	Burns it	NA	No	No	More than a year a ago	No	Other	Not applicable	NA	Daily	Bloom	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

For an overview of the variable names, see the following table.

variable_name	variable_type	description
submitted_on	character	Date when the data was collected and submitted.
district	character	Name of the district where the CBCC is located.
enrollment_male_total	numeric	Total number of enrolled male children.
enrollment_female_total	numeric	Total number of enrolled female children.
enrollment_male_disability	numeric	Number of enrolled male children with disabilities.
enrollment_female_disability	numeric	Number of enrolled female children with disabilities.
latitude	numeric	GPS coordinate - latitude of the CBCC.
longitude	numeric	GPS coordinate - longitude of the CBCC.
photo_cbcc	character	Photo file or URL showing the CBCC.
cbcc_has_water	character	Indicates whether the CBCC currently has access to water.
main_water_source	character	The primary source of water for the CBCC (e.g., borehole, piped water).
water_source_available_now	character	Whether the main water source is currently providing water.
water_source_functional_status	character	Functional status of the main water source.
breakdown_cause	character	Reported cause of breakdown in the water source.
breakdown_past_12_months	character	Whether the water source has broken down in the last 12 months.
breakdown_fixed_date	character	Date when the water source was last repaired.
distance_water_market_magnitude	numeric	Distance from CBCC to the main water source (numeric part).
distance_water_market_unit	character	Unit of distance from CBCC to the main water source (e.g., meters).
water_available_year_round	character	Whether the CBCC has access to water all year round.
alternative_water_source	character	Alternative source of water for the CBCC.
water_supply_satisfaction	character	Whether the CBCC is satisfied with its current water supply.
why_not_satisfied_water	character	Reasons for dissatisfaction with the water source.
complaint_about_water	character	Whether any complaints have been made about water supply.
alt_water_available_now	character	Whether the alternative water source is currently functional.
distance_alt_water_magnitude	numeric	Distance to the alternative water source (numeric part).
distance_alt_water_unit	character	Unit of distance to the alternative water source (e.g., meters).
main_water_50m_from_contaminants	character	Whether the main water source is at least 50m from contaminants.
water_treatment_method	character	Method used to treat water (e.g., boiling, chlorine).
water_treatment_method_other	character	Other water treatment methods if not listed.
treatment_meets_who_standards	character	Whether water treatment meets WHO safety standards.
last_microbacteria_test_date	character	Date of last microbial test of the water.
microbacteria_test_result_fcu	character	Results of microbial test (e.g., fecal coliform units).
water_quality_meets_who	character	Whether water quality meets WHO guidelines.
water_mgmt_committee_available	character	Presence of a committee responsible for water management.
committee_trained_on_maintenance	character	Whether the committee has received training on maintaining the water source.
committee_functional	character	Whether the water management committee is currently active and functioning.
committee_functional_comments	character	Additional comments on committee performance.
operation_funds_available	character	Indicates if there are funds for operating/maintaining water infrastructure.
funds_amount_account	character	The amount of funds currently available in the CBCCs account.
funds_source	character	Main source of funds for water-related operations.
other_source_of_funds	character	Alternative sources of funds if applicable.
financial_records_kept	character	Whether financial records are maintained and up to date.
has_wash_plan_budget	character	Whether the CBCC has a dedicated WASH plan or budget.
additional_comments_1	character	Free-text field for any other observations.
usable_toilets_for_kids	character	Availability of usable toilets for children.
girls_toilet_total	numeric	Total number of toilets designated for girls.
boys_toilet_total	numeric	Total number of toilets designated for boys.
usable_toilets_for_staff	character	Whether there are usable toilets for staff.
male_staff_toilet_total	numeric	Number of toilets designated for male staff.
female_staff_toilet_total	numeric	Number of toilets designated for female staff.
toilet_for_physically_challenged	character	Whether the facility has accessible toilets for people with disabilities.
toilet_for_adolescent_girls	character	Availability of gender-appropriate toilets for adolescent girls.
toilets_visibly_clean	character	Whether toilets are visibly clean.
toilet_cleaning_frequency	character	Frequency of toilet cleaning.
toilet_cleaning_frequency_other	character	Additional description of cleaning frequency if not listed.
handwashing_at_toilets	character	Availability of handwashing stations near toilets.
complaint_about_sanitation	character	Whether there have been complaints about sanitation.
complaint_recipient	character	The person or entity who receives sanitation complaints.
group_handwashing_station	character	Whether a group handwashing station exists at the CBCC.
group_handwashing_count	numeric	Number of group handwashing stations available.
soap_water_at_handwash	character	Availability of both soap and water at handwashing stations.
toilet_has_ventilation	character	Indicates if toilets are adequately ventilated.
toilets_within_30m_cbcc	character	Whether toilets are located within 30 meters of the CBCC.
open_defecation_near_cbcc	character	Presence of open defecation near the CBCC premises.
has_waste_bins	character	Indicates if there are waste bins available at the CBCC.
waste_bins_count	character	Number of waste bins available.
solid_waste_management	character	Method used to manage solid waste (e.g., burning, pit disposal).
solid_waste_management_other	character	Other methods of solid waste management if not listed.
surrounding_clean	character	Whether the general area around the CBCC is clean.
dialogue_on_wash_issues	character	Whether there are community dialogues on WASH issues.
last_wash_inspection	character	Date of the most recent WASH inspection.
cbcc_provides_meals	character	Indicates if the CBCC provides meals to children.
kitchen_sanitary_condition	character	General sanitary condition of the CBCC kitchen.
kitchen_sanitary_condition_other	character	Additional kitchen sanitation details not covered in the main options.
additional_comments_2	character	Additional enumerator comments related to WASH and sanitation.
cbcc_cleaning_frequency	character	Frequency with which the CBCC is cleaned.
cleaning_materials_used	character	Materials used for cleaning (e.g., soap, bleach).
surface_detergent_available	character	Indicates if surface cleaning agents are available.
disinfection_tools_available	character	Availability of disinfection tools (e.g., gloves, sprayers).
hygiene_poster_visible	character	Whether hygiene promotion posters are visible at the CBCC.
daily_group_handwashing	character	Whether group handwashing is practiced daily at the CBCC.
caregiver_wash_training	character	Whether caregivers have received training on WASH practices.
handwashing_in_cbcc	character	Whether handwashing is practiced regularly at the CBCC.
soap_water_available_now	character	If soap and water were available at the time of data collection.
demonstrate_handwashing	character	Whether learners or caregivers can demonstrate proper handwashing technique.
soap_stock_available	character	Availability of a stockpile of soap at the CBCC.
soap_provider	character	Source/provider of the soap (e.g., parents, NGOs).
learners_hygiene_education	character	Whether hygiene education is provided to children.
hand_hygiene_protocol_visible	character	Visibility of hand hygiene protocols posted on CBCC premises.
slts_triggered	character	Whether the CBCC has been triggered under the School-Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) initiative.
wash_teaching_by_caregivers	character	Whether caregivers actively teach WASH principles.
hygiene_iec_materials	character	Availability of hygiene-related IEC (Information, Education, Communication) materials.
key_handwashing_times	character	Key times when handwashing is practiced (e.g., before meals, after toilet).
key_handwashing_times_other	character	Additional key handwashing times not covered by standard options.
iec_materials_for_training	character	Availability of IEC materials for training purposes.
wash_improvement_equipment	character	Equipment available to support WASH improvements.
wash_improvement_equipment_other	character	Any other WASH-related improvement equipment not listed.
additional_comments_3	character	Final comments by the data collector on WASH and hygiene at the CBCC.

Example

library(thyolocbcc)
library(forcats)
library(ggplot2)

# Create a bar chart of water source types, displaying NA as "Other"
ggplot(thyolocbcc, aes(x = fct_explicit_na(main_water_source, na_level = "Other"))) +
  geom_bar(fill = "#1f78b4") +
  labs(title = "Main Water Source Types Across CBCCs",
       x = "Water Source Type",
       y = "Number of CBCCs") +
  theme_minimal() +
  # Rotate x-axis labels for better readability
  theme(axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 45, hjust = 1))

#Pie Chart: Percentage of CBCCs with Year-Round Water Availability

# Prepare data for pie chart
year_round <- thyolocbcc %>%
  # Filter out rows where water availability data is missing
  filter(!is.na(water_available_year_round)) %>%
  
  # Count the number of CBCCs for each water availability category (Yes/No)
  count(water_available_year_round) %>%
  
  # Calculate percentage and create a label for each slice
  mutate(
    percent = round(100 * n / sum(n), 1),  # Percent of total
    label = paste0(water_available_year_round, " (", percent, "%)")  # Text label for the pie chart
  )

# Create pie chart
ggplot(year_round, aes(x = "", y = n, fill = water_available_year_round)) +
  # Create a stacked bar chart with white borders(to become pie slices)
  geom_col(width = 1, color = "white") +
  
  # Convert the stacked bar into a circular pie chart
  coord_polar(theta = "y") +
  
  # Add percentage labels inside each slice
  geom_text(aes(label = label),
            position = position_stack(vjust = 0.5),
            color = "white", size = 4) +
  
  # Add chart title and remove other axis elements
  labs(title = "Year-Round Water Availability at CBCCs") +
  theme_void() +
  
  # Use a nice color palette for the slices
  scale_fill_brewer(palette = "Set2")

License

Data are available as CC-BY.

Citation

Please cite this package using:

citation("thyolocbcc")
#> To cite package 'thyolocbcc' in publications use:
#> 
#>   Mhango E (2025). _thyolocbcc: What the Package Does (One Line, Title
#>   Case)_. R package version 0.0.0.9000,
#>   <https://github.com/openwashdata/thyolocbcc>.
#> 
#> A BibTeX entry for LaTeX users is
#> 
#>   @Manual{,
#>     title = {thyolocbcc: What the Package Does (One Line, Title Case)},
#>     author = {Emmanuel Mhango},
#>     year = {2025},
#>     note = {R package version 0.0.0.9000},
#>     url = {https://github.com/openwashdata/thyolocbcc},
#>   }