ABOUT THE PROJECT

Since 2002, the Rukungiri Women’s Integrated Development Foundation (RWIDF) has  been organizing water, sanitation, and health-related programs in developing communities and schools in the Rukungiri, Mitooma, and Bushenyi districts, in Western Uganda. Over the past 17 years, dropout rates within the area have increased, largely due  to a lack of hygienic facilities and access to clean water, causing many children to fall sick with diarrhea. The School Challenge project will provide these vulnerable schools with the clean water source and safe excreta disposal they require onsite, as well as integrating quality health education and introducing WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) training in order to create optimal learning environments for students.

This project will provide two rain water harvesting tanks for 2 primary schools provide one extremely vulnerable school with latrines for both the male and female students, and equip students and staff at all 8 primary schools with the skills and tools needed to manage and maintain their water sources and sanitation facilities. The project will focus on promoting gender equity and the rights of females, as well as breaking the negative stigma associated with menstruation. RWIDF wants to develop these schools in order to clearly identify the correlation between an optimal learning environment and access to clean water and WASH education. They will then present these findings to the local Government to plead for more hygienic environments in schools and to include mandatory health education, such as WASH and reproductive health education, as part of the school curriculum.

WHAT DO THE FUNDS SUPPORT?

  • Construction of 2 30m3 rain water harvesting tanks at 2 primary schools (Kafuka Primary School and Kabasoni Catholic Primary School)
  • Construction of 2 x 4-stance drainable VIP latrines (one for the males and one for the females at Kabosoni Catholic Primary School)
  • Construction of 2 handwashing jars (Kabosoni Catholic Primary School)
  • Mobilization of 8 schools (students and staff) and neighbouring communities
  • Extensive WASH awareness training for students and staff at 8 targeted schools
  • Ongoing local monitoring and evaluation of the project

The expected outcome from the construction of rain water harvesting tanks, drainable latrines, and handwashing jars will omit the need for students to collect water from far, contaminated source, thus increasing the time that students are able to spend learning in the classroom and ultimately decreasing dropout rates. The overall health of the students and staff at 8 targeted schools will improve through proper use of sanitation facilities, and there will be an increased awareness amongst the students, staff, and neighbouring community members on issues such as water management, sustainability of sources, safe water storage, sanitation, water and health, and environmental conservation techniques.

Every effort is made to designate your funds as requested; however, if the specified project has become fully funded or unforeseen circumstances delay its start, we may allocate your donation to another important project.

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