Amref improves hygiene for 4,000 students

By James Kamala

ABOUT 4,000 girl students in 12 primary and secondary schools in Serengeti District, Mara region may now avoid waterborne-related diseases while at schools after the Amref Health Africa in Tanzania donated facilities for safe sanitation and hygiene.

The organisation donated three latrines, 15 drop holes and constructed three changing rooms for the schools located in two wards of Sedeco and Kisangura.

Other donated facilities are 12 incinerators and 16 laundry infrastructures, all of which will improve hygiene among students. According to the organization, the donation was part of implementation of the ‘Usafi Kwa Afya’ project by Amref Health in Tanzania in collaboration with Serengeti district council in Mara region.

The handed over facilities will improve school attendance for adolescent school girls as they will have access to safe water and proper sanitation and hygiene facilities to improve their health and eliminate gender violence on the girls when searching for water,” Eng James Mturi, WASH program manager for Amref Health Africa in Tanzania, told the Daily News during an interview recently.

Engineer Mturi said the objective of Usafi kwa Afya project was to increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of drinking water and inclusive sanitation and hygiene services at school and community level for adolescents and young women in the two wards.

On her part,Tabitha Mugusi Mugini, District School WASH Coordinator (special education) expressed her gratitude for the support since a total of 3,860 girls in the district will enjoy better learning environment.

We are very grateful for having this project here. We have seen learning environment in primary and secondary schools being improved, as well as school attendance, especially to girls who were vulnerable to poor hygiene and sanitation,” she said.

She highlighted that the project also created awareness on the importance of keeping clean and hygienic environment, especially on the use of toilets. She said at school level, the project involved both teachers and students, adding that societies were insisted to use available resources to construct toilets at their households.

“We also formed groups which were known as WASH Clubs within secondary schools to carry out an awareness campaign about preserving the environment and maintaining cleanliness in schools and spread the same knowledge to their families back homes,” she said.

Usafi kwa Afya project was funded by Junta de Castillay Leon and is being implemented in Serengeti district by Amref Health Africa in Tanzania in partnership with the government through Serengeti district Council.

This is article was first published on the Daily News, Tanzania.