Rehabilitation Project
This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).
Welcome to the School
A normal day in this neighborhood starts very early in the morning so students can attend prep lessons. These classes begin at 6:30am and go until 8am when normal classes start. The regular academic schedule stretches uninterrupted until lunchtime. Afternoon lessons go until 3:40pm when students leave to walk home.
Beyond sitting in class, children also have time in the afternoon to play in the field. But if the school is short on water, these same students can be seen fetching water to be used in the school kitchen.
Kapsambo is in a very quiet location with green trees and wildlife. The land here is flat, and is home to a large population all from the same tribe. Thus, people here share the same traditions and beliefs, coexisting peacefully and working together.
Kapsambo Primary has a student enrollment of 484 and employs 15 teachers and two supplementary staff. (Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. This community would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)
The school's head teacher, Pamella Munaya, was the one who applied for a project. She had visited Lusengeli Secondary School and was very impressed with the water, sanitation and hygiene project that was completed there. She quickly wrote a letter to us, and we visited in person to assess the school's needs. You can find a picture of Mrs. Munaya in the "See Photos & Video" section.
Water Situation
The school has no water source, so they are forced to find water elsewhere. The closest source is less than a half kilometer away; a nearby spring that was protected in the past but now needs rehabilitation. The catchment area is damaged, the spring is not back-filled correctly, and there is no drainage. Spring water can be seen flowing to the catchment area, proving that the spring is open contamination. Improper drainage creates stagnant water, providing mosquitos with good breeding grounds. This increases the risk of malaria for these students and the surrounding community.
Nor does the school have storage for any water the students fetch. As soon as students deliver their jerrycan to school, the water is used up and there's a need for more. Much of class time wastes away as students are sent for water. If the school had at least a place for water storage on campus, students wouldn't have to be sent on as many trips to the spring. Moreover, if the school had a water source on campus, there wouldn't be a need for the spring! A rainwater catchment tank will solve that, acting as both a safe water source and water storage.
Sanitation Situation
There are 16 VIP (ventilated improved pit) latrines, made of bricks and iron sheets. However, most of these latrines are very old with cracks in the walls and floors. There is a possibility that with more use, these floors suspended over the pit will give out. This is a very dangerous situation! Many of these latrines are also close to being too full to use.
There is one hand-washing station near the latrines, but there was no cleaning agent at the time of our visit. There is a dish rack outside of the kitchen for containers and utensils to dry up off the ground. Garbage is thrown in a pile next to one of the buildings.
Mrs. Munaya told us "The health situation of this place is not that bad, but the only challenge is the increase in population with less knowledge on health issues."
Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training
We are excited to train students and staff on hygiene, because they were very inquisitive during our visit.
Community members, teachers and students will be present for two days of training sessions. This training is meant to equip participants with the skills needed to practice good hygiene, and to promote these practices among peers and the greater community. The end goal is to eliminate water and hygiene-related diseases!
The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Training), CTC (child to child), discussions, lectures, and demonstrations to teach topics including but not limited to disease transmission, hand-washing, and water treatment. The CTC method will prepare students to lead other students into healthy habits, as well as kickstart a CTC club for the school.
Plans: VIP Latrines
Because of the poor state of current latrines here, we plan to build new facilities. Two triple-door VIP (ventilated improved pit) latrines will be constructed, three doors for each gender. Once students have their own water source, they will have the ability to keep their new latrines clean.
Mrs. Munaya said, "Our school has had a lot of problems, ranging from lack of safe source of water, lack of enough latrines, and failure by the government to support the school with all these projects. I personally have been trying to reach out to sympathizers of the school but all in vain."
Students, staff and parents will help prepare for construction by delivering materials to the site. They will need to collect sand, stone, bricks, and poles. Local fathers will also need to prepare by digging two large pits for the latrines.
Plans: Rainwater Catchment Tank
A 30,000-liter rainwater catchment tank will be built on school grounds. Materials for the tank will be mobilized at the same time as the latrines. As soon as there's a rainy day, water will no longer be a problem!
Plans: Hand-Washing Stations
Two 60-liter containers with stands will be delivered. This will give students and staff a total of three usable hand-washing stations. The CTC club will be responsible for filling these stations and making sure they remain clean.
We also met Mrs. Evans, the chairperson of the School Management Committee. She had a lot to say about the possibility of a project at Kapsambo Primary School:
"As the chairperson of this school, I am very much moved by the fact that our school has been given an opportunity to have this project done. I cannot believe that the greatest challenges that we have been having are soon to to come to an end. For a very long time, as a leader, I have been restless in seeking ways of overcoming the issue of lack of water and also few latrines that we have at the school but had not succeeded. The school management committee will partner with you to ensure that all goes well for the project beginning from assembling the materials, construction process, completion and monitoring of the project for sustainability purposes. Thank you for remembering us!"
We believe that with these facilities, health at the school will improve significantly, translating to better performance amongst students. Better performance will provide greater opportunity for them and their families!
