WASH Project improves Learning for Students

Klinpela Komuniti Projek, a pilot Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project funded by the European Union and implemented by UNICEF and partners, is scaling new heights in empowering students in over 200 schools through Hygiene Clubs to create healthier and happier learning environments.

One such school is Sipatako Primary School in Panguna, Central Bougainville that has a population of just under 800 students and is a Catholic Mission-run institution established in the 1950s and closed during the Bougainville crisis and later re-opening in 1997.

Sitapatako Primary School Headteacher Mrs. Jacinta James who has been teaching at Sipatako for the last 4 years recollects how things were before the EU-UNICEF WASH project’s intervention.

“Before, our students used to go into the bushes to defecate during the school hours as we did not have any toilets”.

“Each week I would have about 3-5 students come to my office requesting to go home because of stomach upset or diarrhea.”, she said.

She said in 2020 after the school’s new toilets and ablution block was built and the students started using the facilities, there was a decline in numbers of students visiting her office.

In excitement of the newly built ablution block, and the spike in COVID-19 cases being experienced, Mrs. James wants to really bring the WASH message home.

In doing so, the school’s Health Club Teacher Mr. John Avero was encouraged to undertake the mammoth task of creating and leading the ‘School Health and Hygiene Club’.

“Our Health Hygiene Club was created in 2020 but disrupted due to COVID-19, therefore this year our club is going full swing.

“Duties include cleaning of ablution blocks, school beautification, classroom cleanliness student health and hygiene to improve student’s well-being and provide a conducive environment to learn in”, said Mr. Avero.

In support of sentiments shared by Mrs. James, he said that before the construction of the ablution block, students were disposing of their rubbish in the nearby bushes. Our school administration used to have a lot of complaints from the community living around the school about the stench from students openly defecating near their homes and gardens”, said Mr. Avero.

“Now we do not have complaints from community and there has been a reduction in student absenteeism, water, and waste disposal related diseases”, Mr. Avero added.

A very grateful Principle Mrs. James expressed gratitude saying that the school was overwhelmed by the gift of the ablution block which included an incinerator for waste disposal of menstrual pads.

“In the past, we were not able to properly dispose and burn our feminine pads, with the incinerator which was built with the ablution block, we can now control, burn and dispose of this feminine rubbish properly and respectably. We have a boy’s toilet separate from the girls for privacy, and for this, I am thankful as the Personal Development teacher”.

The School Board of Management (SBoM) was impressed at the facilities constructed that it took WASH in Sipatako Primary School a step further by funding the construction of a shower block as an extension to the ablution block so staff and students could also have a shower if they needed to.

“We are very grateful to the European Union, UNICEF, and it’s implementing partner World Vision for this infrastructure that our school would not have built on our own”, she added.

This has given the boostthe school needed and now not only do they have an ablution block and incinerator but a shower room as well.

Sipatako Primary school received a separate male and female toilet, an incinerator, and taps outside the toilet for hand washing.

There is also a separate hand washing station set up on the school grounds, and two 9000 Litre water tanks for water storage for both the ablution block and hand-washing facility.

Central Bougainville inclusive, the project is implementing similar activities in 200 schools in pilot districts of PNG  – Nawaeb in Morobe, Goroka in Eastern Highlands Province, and Hagen Central in Western Highlands Province.

Feature Pic: Sipatako Primary School students washing their hands at one of the newly installed water taps near their newly built ablution block.

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