Arthington, Montserrado – On campus, students in rural Liberia struggle to have access to water and latrine, a situation that is causing serious embarrassment for pupils.
To remedy this situation, Action Against Hunger along with Ground Water Exploration International has constructed modern latrines and hand pumps on the campus of three schools in rural Montserrado.
Three schools Arthington Public School, Jallaba Public School, Krukai Public School, now have health club, which is providing education for students who in return are becoming hygiene ambassadors in their community.
Action Against Hunger WASH Program Manager Jackson Yoko said the program seeks to improve wash activities in schools.
“This program seeks to improve wash activities and structures at school, we are working with Arthington Public School, Jallaba Public School, Krukai Public School,” Yoko added.
Yoko continues: “The biggest story is Arthington in the past week has been calling for support for bore holes. We have brand new bore holes and the community as well.
Action Against Hunger WASH Manager said little or no attention is given menstrual hygiene in schools, adding that his organization is placing more emphasis on the Menstrual Health (MH).
“The issue of menstrual hygiene people do not emphasizes on it in school, we need to improve MH in school so girl’s children can remain in school,” Yoko said.
“We have to improve the latrine for girls to use it, we have train twenty-five persons, our message is resonating, students are becoming to know the importance of managing their own menstrual cycle,” Yoko averred.
Yoko said it is their hope the program will roll-out in other schools to enable female stay in schools.
“We want most especially the female to stay in school and have friendly interaction,” Yoko said.
Ground Water Exploration Inc. Program Coordinator Nibo R. Browne said the three schools can now boast of modern latrines as opposed to pit latrine that doesn’t provide a friendly environment for girls.
“Today they can boast of modern latrine in their schools, we work with the schools to revamp the schools health club,” Brown said.
Browne emphasized the need for menstrual education for school going girls, adding it is a serious problem at schools.
“Menstrual hygiene has been a serious problem; we have thought it wise to have menstrual hygiene activities implemented in schools,” Browne said.
He said they have established a school management team to work with the school to manage the wash facility.
“When there is damage, the PTA can work with the school to repair the damage,” Browne said.
He further said hand washing pumps were constructed at the three schools, adding that after the Ebola the issue of hand washing is quest for the people.
“All the buckets that were given to the schools are damaged. We constructed three modern hand washing stations at these three schools; these three hand washing station can serve four student at a time, we have worked with administration and the student on the maintenance,” Browne said.
Arthington Public School Principal Augustus Johnson thanked Action Against Hunger and GWEI for the water and sanitation facility constructed.
Johnson promised that the school administration will maintain the facility, adding that hand pump construction came at a time when the school is in need of access to water.