Kenya: scaling-up school hygiene and sanitation

After implementing the Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education (PHASE) programme in rural Kenyan communities, AMREF has now started a project in the urban ‘slum’ settlement of Kibera, in Nairobi.

With support from GlaxoSmithKline, AMREF works with local communities to implement PHASE, promoting good hygiene, sanitation and water practices. It does this through primary school children, because they are seen as an effective way to educate their peers, families and communities.

The project has reached 74,000 children (plus their siblings, parents and teachers) in 247 rural primary schools across Kenya, and aims to reach a further 10,000 urban school children in Kibera. Activities include hygiene and sanitation training for pupils, teachers, parents and government officials; providing water and sanitation facilities in schools; producing hygiene and sanitation learning materials; and developing a handbook to replicate PHASE activities in all schools.

The Ministry of Education has now incorporated PHASE into the national school curriculum and has rolled out the PHASE model in all schools in Kenya (excluding Kibera). It is also being replicated by AMREF in Uganda and through other partners in Zambia, Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Tajikistan.

Source: Amref, 2008

Tanzania: Children’s Perceptions of Education and Their Role in Society

Children in Tanzania are were well aware of the contradiction between a curriculum that teaches the importance of clean water and good nutrition and what they actually receive at school. This is one of the conclusions from a participatory research involving a survey of 512 children aged from 7 to 14 years from ten regions in Mainland Tanzania.

As the ‘consumers’ of education, children provide useful information for those working for and with children – from policy makers to teachers. The report of survey contains their opinions on a range of issues relating to education, such as school services (including healthcare, water supply and food), textbooks, performance by teachers, discipline, extra charges, and their desired improvements to education.

UNICEF Tanzania provided the funding for the study.

Research and Analysis Working Group (2008). Tanzanian children’s perceptions of education and their role in society : views of the children 2007. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Research and Analysis Working Group (REPOA) and MKUKUTA Monitoring System, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. ix, 41 p.
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Uganda: School sanitation and the dependency syndrome

Susan Karungi, Education Advisor for SNV Uganda, uses a school sanitation project to illustrate “how the dependency syndrome is crippling Uganda’s progress”.

“Last year I witnessed proceedings of a joint session of a school management committee (SMC) and a parents-teacher association (PTA) aimed at formulating a work plan for the improvement of school sanitation”.

“The leader of the team presented the plan indicating the resources that would be required to finish a latrine stance for girls; including erecting a screen wall; plus who would deliver (read donate the materials). [...] Typically and unsurprisingly, the list did not have the parents and the community at large as potential donors to this small school project”.

“The issue of poor school sanitation facilities is a serious one with most districts in the country posting horrendous stance: pupil ratios of 1:150; against the national standard 1:40. You do the maths and tell me how long a pupil needs to wait to use the available facility at the school. It was indeed gratifying that the school management had decided to tackle this problem at this particular school”.

“My concern is that communities are always looking outside for support without looking internally for practical solutions”.

By posing a few simple questions at the meeting, Ms. Karungi made those present realise that they could use their own resources – local materials – to construct the latrine screen walls.

Read the full article: Daily Monitor online, 18 Jun 2008

Rwanda: Parents, School Clash Over Toilets

Teachers and parents at Sinai Hill Academy, a Kigali City based private Muslim primary school in Gasabo District, have expressed concern over what they call the ‘worrying mismanagement of the school’.

One of the problems causing concern amongst parents is the sanitary facilities at the school. Temporary latrines positioned close to classrooms are a health risk.

Read more: The New Times  / allAfrica.com, 13 Mar 2008

Uganda – Tororo to Fine Homes Without Pit-Latrines

THE Tororo district council is to impose a sh50,000 fine on homesteads near schools that lack pit-latrines. The district health and education committee chairperson, Jacinta Ayoo, said about 50% of communities living around schools lacked pit latrines.

She said the communities instead use the school pit latrines, which fill up faster and constrain authorities in terms of emptying sewage and digging new ones.

Read More: New Vision – allAfrica.com, 10 Mar 2008

School sanitation news: Nigeria, Namibia, Uganda

Nigeria: Lagos Set to Construct Modern Toilets Project in Public Schools

As part of its advocacy programme the Lagos State Government has disbursed the sum of N64.4 million [US$ 558,000 = EUR 385,000] for the construction of 23 modern toilets in various public schools within the metropolis.

The toilets consist of four each for male and female section, a wash hand basin, a bathroom for the supervisor. There is also a bore hole for the supply of water with a standby generator to run it as well as overhead tank.

Read more: Olasunkanmi Akoni, (Lagos) / allAfrica.co, 30 Jan 2008

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Namibia: Toilet Stench Hangs Over School

Parents of learners at Centaurus Secondary School are up in arms over the alleged appalling state and condition of toilets at the school that may pose a health hazard to the school community

Read more: Frederick Philander, New Era (Windhoek) / allAfrica.com, 6 Feb 2008

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Uganda: Masaka UPE Schools Short of 2,000 Latrines

SCchools under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme in Masaka district are faced with a shortage of 2,000 latrines to cater for the 201,427 pupils enrolled in the programme.

Francis Ssekaddu, the district education officer, said the schools without latrines would be closed down.
Read more: New Vision (Kampala) / allAfrica.com, 5 Feb 2008