By George Yap, Program Director
Prior to being assisted by WaterCan, Buloba Primary School located in Wakiso District, a rural area in southern Uganda, was typical of many schools in the area. Without water supply, many children would go all day without a drink of water. The water situation was so bad that collecting water was actually part of the students’ daily chores for the school – unfortunately the nearest water source was a stream almost two kilometers away. Invariably, the effort was not a good use of the students’ time and energy, which could have been put to better use in the classroom. In fact, absenteeism, in order to avoid collecting water, was a significant problem at the school. The lack of water at the school also made efforts to promote good personal hygiene among students, such as hand-washing after going to the toilet, a practical impossibility.
Headmaster Musisi and some of his students beside the rainwater tank.
The sanitation situation at the school was equally poor. For almost 300 students and their teachers, a trip to the washroom meant sharing one latrine block that was in poor working condition due to age. Not surprisingly many students chose to relieve themselves in nearby fields. Girls found sharing a latrine block with the boys especially difficult and were discouraged from attending school.
Working with the local organization Voluntary Action for Development, today the situation at Buloba Primary School has improved dramatically. The construction of a 10,000-litre rain water tank, two six-stall toilet blocks (one for girls, one for boys) and several hand-washing facilities have created a much healthier, more conducive learning and teaching environment.
Hygiene murals help to spread the word about good hygiene practices.
Now that the school environment has improved, students and teachers have a better attitude towards adopting good personal and community sanitation practices and students are more motivated to work hard at their studies. According to Headmaster Musisi, the school’s improved hygiene and sanitation situation has also helped to motivate local parents and government officials to get involved.
Convenient hand-washing stations make good hygiene practices simple.
