WATER IN SCHOOL PROJECT
Working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals number 4 and 6, Afyaplus Organization has managed to set a goal for improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services in schools through construction of hand washing facilities in schools, conducting awareness sessions , advocate and lobby for support from decision makers. Based on research conducted by UNICEF in 2017 it was reported that about 70% of government health budget spent on preventable WASH related diseases as majority of population doesn’t have access to WASH facilities including school children.
Also Lack of water and basic sanitation in schools not only affects children’s physical development but also school attendance and academic performance especially the school girls who have reached puberty. Therefore availability of quality hand washing facilities in schools will increase hand-washing behavior and will help to reduce number of infectious diseases that can be spread from one person to another through contaminated hands and hence improve the health and learning performance of school-aged children.
The main objective of this project
The main goal is to improve Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in schools which will help school children practice proper hand washing and access clean drinking water at school. This project in Schools will focus on the development of life skills, mobilization, and involvement of parents, communities, governments, and institutions to work together to improve Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Facilities.
Increasing access to clean and safe water by providing Water Storage Facilities (water tanks of 500 Lts) to 6600 Students ( 2798 boys and 3774 girls) from 25 schools in three districts namely Iringa District Council, Iringa Municipal Council and Mafinga Town Council.
Construction of hand washing stations with eight (8) water taps for eight users at once to promote hygiene and behavior change in Iringa schools. Currently, Afyaplus Organization in collaboration with the Afyaplus WASH Gala stakeholders and government managed to construct hand washing facilities in ten (15) schools including Six (6) Primary schools which are Kibwabwa, Igingilanyi, Kalenga, Luhindo, Igumbilo, Saba Saba and Nine (9) Secondary schools which are Mivinjeni, Lipuli, Kalenga, Mkwawa, Ismani, Irole, Mazombe, Kreluu, and Miyomboni.
Conducting awareness sessions on good sanitation, hygiene practices, and proper hand-washing procedures. So far 8381 students (3103 boys and 5457 girls) have been reached and equipped with skills on hand-washing, and the importance of proper hand hygiene to maintain cleanliness and protect against the spread of germs and disease.
Afyaplus has managed to establish Afyaplus SWASH (school, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene clubs in 12 Schools located in both primary and secondary schools within the Iringa municipal council area. These clubs aim to instill lifelong habits and foster a culture of cleanliness. By targeting multiple schools, we strive to maximize our impact and provide young individuals with essential education on sanitation and hygiene practices.