Rehabilitation Project
Kinyonga Primary is a government aided primary school located in Kaduku Parish, Masindi port sub-county, Kiryandongo district and has an enrollment of 433pupils (365girls and 435boys). In terms of sanitation and hygiene, the school has one 5stance latrine shared among teachers and learners which government has just constructed as the old one got filled out. This school does not have access to clean and safe water as there is no source of clean water at the school. Pupils fetch water from a community borehole located 1km away which inconveniences study time. Mr. Bithumurungi Denis the school head teacher says that the reason he invited The Water Trust to this school for support is because he felt that the district local government had taken so long without putting the school’s need for clean water in the budget. Mr. Chandia Joseph the Kiryandongo District Water Officer says that budgetary constraints are a reason this school has taken long to be allocated a water source.
According to the WHO, diseases due to poor water supply, sanitation, and personal and domestic hygiene cause 4.0% of all deaths and 5.7% of all disability or ill health in the world. Moreover, waterborne illnesses predominantly affect the poor and the young. When basic water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions are applied, waterborne illnesses can be effectively reduced (www.who.int). Clean water is vital for health, especially in children who suffer the most when clean water is not available. Sanitation remains very poor in this school and it is important that this improves to protect the health of the learners.
As strategies to address the sanitation situation, the school has started a daily general cleaning around the school including latrines and Ms. Alinda Carol one of the teachers in the school has been assigned the responsibility to head sanitation and hygiene programs. The school has also foamed a health club which will do peer to peer advocacy on sanitation related issues on a daily basis. This school has also been identified for support to construct a borehole in a bid to improve the school sanitation standard and our social team will train the school health club and drilling and installation takes place. We expect the health impacts of clean water and improved sanitation at this school will be felt for many years to come.
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
January 12, 2015
Today we visited Kinyonga primary school with Ikon projects the drilling company to site a suitable location for the borehole and all was successful.
February 23, 2015
The drilling company reported to site and began work. Drilling was concluded at 54.6m deep and the well has been covered.
March 5, 2015
After good results from a pump testing exercise yesterday, we returned to installation today and all was successful. Clean and safe water is now flowing and both pupils and the school management are happy about this development. The school authorities have been instructed to ensure that afence using local material is erected around the well for protection.
SANITATION AND HYGIENE STRATEGY
The Community Development Officer (CDO) encourages each household to follow the main objectives of TWT’s Sanitation and Hygiene Program, which are the use of latrines and observing proper hygiene practices as these goals are inherently connected to the provision of clean water. Open defecation, water storage in unclean containers and the absence of hand washing at critical times are all possible contaminates to the water supply at the household level. , TWT works toward sustainable, interdisciplinary WASH development.
The Water Trust’s social program includes the assignment of one to build development. TWT leverages this relationship, by requiring each participating village to achieve Open Defecation Free status (defined by one latrine per household), prior to the pump installation for a shallow hand dug well. An ideal homestead includes: a latrine with a hand-washing facility, a rubbish pit, separate structure for animals and a drying rack for dishes.
The Water Trust implements the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach with each of our village partners. TWT facilitates a CLTS session in which we aim to improve the sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors of a village. During these sessions, village leaders naturally emerge and push the community to realize that current practices of individual households – particularly open defecation– are not only unhealthy, but affect the entire village. CLTS facilitates a process in which community members realize the negative consequences of their current water, sanitation and hygiene behaviors and are inspired to take action. Group interactions, embarrassment and shame are frequent motivators for individual households to: build latrines, use the latrines and demand that other households do the same.
