Reducing Waterborne Diseases in 131 Kenyan Schools

ACTIVITY PROCEEDINGS

This activity took place at Kakamega Multipurpose Centre that brought together 30 schools that WE REACH is working within the WASH project. The purpose of this meeting was to enable them to know where their schools are in terms of the progress they have made since the project started.

The participants were taken through the three-star rating of the school WASH project. Where three stars mean the gold standards (80%) that a school has met all the requirements as per the Kenya WASH policy and guidelines for schools. The second star is the silver that symbolizes that the school is at an average level and it can meet some of the important requirements. The last star is the bronze level which means poor and below average. A school cannot provide enough WASH facilities to its learners and staff and also the availability of water is very scarce or not there at all.
The headteachers were later given evaluation forms after the demonstration and illustrations on how they are supposed to fill the form. There are three sections in the form that is; Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. In each section, every school was required to score itself according to the performance using the three stars rating. Lastly, do a sum of the three sections then come up with the total in terms of percentage. This evaluation would give a clear picture of the schools if they are making progress in the project or not.
One of the key issues that came up is that for WASH in Schools programs to be sustainable and successful it requires the involvement and buy-in of teachers and school administrators. Teachers can be role models in schools for children. They can be champions in WASH matters in advocating for required hygiene standards. Teachers can are also integral in working with local government such as the ministry of health to ensure schools are adhering to all required WASH standards and protocols.

LESSONS LEARNT 

• With a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, headteachers, teachers, and pupils can easily help eliminate water-related diseases by working with the headteacher to set good health standards in schools.

CHALLENGES AND RESOLUTIONS

• Lack of changing rooms for girls experiencing menstruation; schools to provide special rooms for girls
• Not enough toilets for the learners; contraction of additional toilets
• Minimal support from the National and County government when it comes to construction

• Inadequate funds to support more schools in the Sub-County; there is a need for fundraising

5.0: RECOMMENDATIONS AND REQUIRED ACTIONS.

• Headteacher with the help of teacher champion should ensure that health clubs in schools are active for the success of the WASH project
• The school administration should make sure they are enough toilets in school for boys and girls.