Another 1,087 Students in Uganda have Access to Safe Sanitation

In the past few months, in addition to rehabilitating four boreholes in Uganda, we also built three school latrines. These latrines have impacted a total of 1,087 students at two primary schools.

With one in three schools lacking access to safe water and sanitation, it’s important to provide holistic solutions that cover both basic needs. By building latrines, open defecation is reduced; students are able to stay in school longer as they no longer have to leave school in search of a toilet; the hygiene of the school is improved; and dignity is restored!

Ocelakur Primary School Boys’ Latrine

Prior to Surge’s intervention, Ocelakur Primary School had three latrine structures, but only one was usable. One latrine had collapsed due to heavy rains in 2020, and the boys’ latrine was full and the structure was crumbling. The entire school – students and teachers – were forced to share one facility as there was no other option.

The lack of latrines led to students practicing open defecation, putting their health at risk, and missing school, which affected their learning.

After construction, 358 boys now have a brand new latrine. With an attached hand-washing facility, students will also be able to wash their hands at the appropriate times throughout the day. Nyarwa Esther, the Deputy Head Teacher, shared:

[This latrine] provides privacy and security for the users. With the hand washing facility attached, our children will now develop the lifelong attitude of washing their hands with soap after using the latrines.

Ogolai-Kakure Primary School Girls and Boys’ Latrines

Ogolai-Kakure Primary School originally had two latrines – one for boys and one for girls. Unfortunately, in 2019 the girls’ latrine collapsed due to its poor construction. Since then, all 729 students have been sharing one latrine. The school was worried about the health of the students,  as Mr. Otim Michael, Chairperson of the School Management Committee, talks about:

…our school had no access to suitable sanitation facilities. The boys and girls shared 1 old latrine, which resulted in improper waste disposal in the nearby bushes. Our pupils studied in an unhealthy environment contaminated by human waste.

Additionally, poor sanitation infrastructure conditions disproportionately impact menstruating girls that need a hygienic, safe and private place for menstruation management.

With two new latrines, students no longer need to worry about using the bathroom. With these new latrines, school administrators believe that school enrollment and retention will increase:

With these modern sanitary facilities in place, coupled with all of the user-friendly features like a bathroom with an incinerator…and the hand-washing facility…there is no doubt enrolment will increase among girls. This will enable them to further their education by remaining in the school system. Thank you so much for securing the future of our children, especially the girl child.” – Madam Anigo Beatrice, Head Teacher of Ogolai-Kakure Primary School

Thanks to the following supporters, our work continues to improve the lives of those in Uganda:

• Ocelakur Primary School boys’ latrine – ERM Foundation
• Ogolai-Kakure Primary School latrines – Health Goes Global

With their support, communities now have access to safe sanitation and improved hygiene and health!

If you’d like to learn more about our work or supporting these sustainable solutions, please contact us.