Malawi: WaterAid has honored M’buka Primary School in Lilongwe by awarding them a K600,000 water token. The school was recognized for their commitment to maintaining sanitation and hygiene practices in the school.
The members of the WaterAid were present at the school premises to appreciate and highlight the school’s efforts. Hygiene Behavior Change Specialist at WaterAid, Maria Soko explained that the organisation initiated a water and sanitation project.
The step was taken in light of a high enrollment rate that exceeded the available water and sanitation facilities. The high enrolment resulting in compromised hygiene standards for the students.
WaterAid provided additional sanitation facilities such as toilets and change rooms for girls in four schools They also ensured that the students have access to clean water in M’buka, Chipala, Mloza, and Kabwabwa schools.
The Hygiene Behavior Change Specialist highlighted the challenges faced by the schools in the community. The officials have shared that the schools have limited financial resources which prompted the authorities to help them.
She emphasised that the limited financial resources, hindered their ability to cover water bills for improved sanitation and girls’ hygiene.
“As a motivating factor, we conducted a sanitation competition among the four schools to evaluate their adherence to hygiene standards, focusing on areas such as toilet cleanliness, surroundings, and classroom hygiene.
“We are pleased to announce that M’buka emerged as the winner, receiving a K600,000 water token, while the other three schools each received a K300,000 water token,” said Soko.
Primary School Advisor for Mvunguti zone, Chrissy Bondo thanked the organization to WaterAid for enhancing sanitation and hygiene at M’buka, highlighting the school’s previous struggles to maintain hygiene due to water scarcity.
“WaterAid has significantly improved sanitation and hygiene at our school by installing more water points, water tanks, quality toilets, and bathrooms for girls. This initiative has contributed to reducing illnesses and dropout rates, particularly among girls,” Bondo stated.
Esther Chunga, a standard seven learner at M’buka, praised WaterAid for providing change rooms for girls, noting that it has played a crucial role in keeping girls in school compared to previous challenges they faced.