The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Seven schools in Mukono and Buikwe districts have received Ecological Sanitation-Eco-san toilets, thanks to Cape of Good Hope, a non government organization operating in both local governments. Cape of Good Hope is financed by Saluganda-Elkartea from Spain, whose major role is promoting public health.
The beneficiary schools are St. Stephen, Nakapinyi in Mukono, and Kisimbi primary in Buikwe district. Other schools are Kiyindi P/S, Kiyindi SDA, Maranatha P/S, Tom-Margret P/S, and St Cecilia P/S. The beneficiary schools have been struggling with crumbling latrines.
Jimmy Katende, the Executive Director of Cape of Good Hope says that they injected Shillings 15millions to set up each of the eco-san toilets. The toilets are built above the ground using conventional bricks with two chambers separating urine and fecal matter.
The floor of the chamber is paved with concrete to prevent water or soil from coming into contact with the excrement. According to Katende, the resilience of the toilets saves the school from digging pit latrines, which fill up within a short time.
To maintain the hygiene of the toilet, one is expected to pour ash into the pit hole which helps to dry the waste. As a result, parents are required to pack ash for the learners to use at the school. The project has also provided the schools with wheelbarrows, gumboots, spades, and gloves for cleaning the toilets.
Margret Nakiberu Nuwagaba, the headteacher of Nakapinyi CoU Primary School, says that they have the role to train learners how to use the new toilet facilities. She notes besides giving them a break from sinking new latrines almost every after three to five years, they hope to generate nutrients from the econ san toilets to support the school garden.
Parents Teacher’s Association Chairperson, Gertrude Nambi Wafula says that it has always been a real struggle to construct latrines at school. She notes that their school almost got closed two years to the lockdown because of poor hygiene after it took parents over two years to contribute towards the construction of one following unanswered cries to the government.
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