International Day of the Girl Child: “It’s time to listen to girls.”
Written by Impact Communication Officers Jacklyn Chelagat and Olivia Bomji
Olivia:
The 2024 International Day of the Girl Child theme is “Girls’ vision for the future.”
Girls in the communities we serve need allies who listen to and respond to their needs. The Water Project helps ensure that girls secure their hopes and dreams of becoming successful in the future by providing access to clean and safe water in school.
Jackie:
The importance and the worth of a girl in any community cannot be underestimated. The future and success of any community depends on the value attached to the girl child. Fortunately, the whole world is cognizant of this fact, which is why the International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated globally. This day seeks to advocate for equal rights and opportunities for the girl child. On this day, a lot of emphasis is put on the importance of empowering girls to gain access to quality education, healthcare, and equal opportunities.
Just as an engine cannot run without engine oil, so is the life of a girl child without water. All activities in a girl’s life revolve around access to clean and safe water. She must be clean, smart, healthy, and in a clean environment.
To affirm this, we sought to conduct a comparative survey of a school which has sufficient water and one without. We started by visiting St. Mary’s Shihome Girls Secondary School to establish the challenges girls face due to a lack of water in their boarding school. (Note: a new borehole well at this school is currently under construction!)
On arrival, we found a school compound that was generally dusty and an unkempt environment. We had an opportunity to interact with the girls just to get the feeling, and this is what they had to say.
“In this school, we have a challenge with water. We get water from a spring that is three kilometers away. We spend a lot of time on the road, and we come back so tired and exhausted that we cannot even concentrate in class,” Dorcas said.
“Due to the scarcity of water in our school, we are forced to use and reuse water. This makes the water so dirty, contaminated, and unsafe. As a result, we contract waterborne diseases that seriously affect our health,” Grace said.
“We are girls who should study in a clean environment, but as a result of [the] water shortage, we do not clean our classes daily. This makes the classroom environment so dusty and filthy,” Gilan said.
Another student, Everlyne, said, “We get water from the same spring [as] the villagers. At times, we converge with them at the spring and we tend to scramble for the same resource with them. This makes the spring environment hostile for us. Most of the time, we have to be accompanied by a teacher just to guarantee our safety.”
We decided to ask them what they think would change if they were given a project that would ensure a steady and sufficient supply of water in the school.
They said their academic performance would definitely improve, since the time they spend covering three kilometers daily would be converted to revision and study time. Water-related infections would also be eliminated, and they would be able to concentrate in class since they would no longer be exhausted from the daily trips to the faraway spring. Above all, their classes, toilets, and the general environment would be clean.
We also asked what they would want to become in the future after their studies. Several responses came up: a doctor, a lecturer, a donor, a fashion designer, a nurse, a journalist, a teacher, not leaving behind a lawyer. Their hobbies were swimming, singing, researching, traveling, reading, and dancing.
Olivia:
According to St. Mary’s Shihome Girls Secondary School’s principal, Mrs. Priscilla Tendi, “It is a dream of every girl to look clean and beautiful, but lack of sufficient clean water in school is making the girls not to shine again. But I hope soon they will smile again because water will be in school. We all know that water is life, and no one can separate girls and water.”
Growing up as a young girl, I used to fetch water while in school, and it was not sufficient at all. In fact, it was so traumatizing not to have water in school. That’s why girls need sufficient water, especially during menstrual periods, because they need to take baths. Imagine sleeping without taking a shower during your menstrual periods? Would you feel comfortable? I mean, it’s not healthy at all.
These girls are forced to use the little water they have sparingly, and this affects their personal hygiene. Water is key to human life. We need it. We can’t do without it.
My prayer is that these girls will have water in school soon so that they can achieve their dreams and live healthy lives while at school. I can’t imagine staying in a boarding school without water. Indeed, the girls are suffering, but they have no option but to look for alternatives to ensure that at least they have some water to drink, wash, take baths, and clean their classrooms and dormitories.
Jackie:
We also visited Shitoto Girls Secondary School, a school with a water project that ensures a sufficient supply of water. (Note: The borehole well at Shitoto Girls Secondary School has been in operation since April 2023.) The compound was green, neat, and conducive to learning. The aesthetic value of this school is just amazing.
“Since The Water Project gave us this project, a lot has changed. Performance in our school has improved. We have been able to save on time and energy that was initially spent in search of water. The level of cleanliness and hygiene in our school has significantly improved,” Lulu said.
“Our school cooks no longer have to strain looking for water to prepare meals. Our meals are prepared and served on time and this is done in a clean kitchen,” Mercy said.
“With the water pump within the compound, we get water so fast, [and] clean our classes and the dormitory. As a matter of fact, nowadays, we clean daily,” Kelen, the sanitary prefect, said.
We asked the girls what they want to become in the future after their studies. Their responses were: a journalist, water engineer, among others. I believe girls in this school shall achieve their dreams since the learning environment is so conducive. They are working really hard because they no longer worry about water.
Educating a girl child is educating the community. Every one of us has a role to play in ensuring that girls are fully supported to achieve their dreams and to reach their destiny. Let us all join our hands, donate, and assist a girl child in getting access to clean and safe water since it plays a crucial role in a girl’s development.
Olivia:
The Water Project is working hard to ensure that the girls in Western Kenya stay in school. Through the drilling of borehole wells, it’s evident that the girls’ futures will be secured. And when girls lead, the impact is immediate and wide.
It is time to listen to girls and invest in proven solutions that will accelerate progress toward a future in which every girl can fulfill her potential. When we come together and give for clean water in schools, our girls will be able to change the community and the world in the future. Let’s all donate to The Water Project and help girls here in Western Kenya secure the future they deserve.
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