BORDA Zambia’s Post

Our WASH programme has been rolled out to two of our partner schools in Ghana, Dornorgbor School and Ashata School, improving health and hygiene standards for over 1,330 students. The aim of our WASH Programme is to: 💧 Construct better sanitation facilities and access to clean water 👫 Provide equal opportunity for girls and boys to reach their full potential at school 📋 Reduce school absence 👐 Improve students’ knowledge and understanding of good hygiene 🎓 Ensure girls feel confident managing their menstruation so that they can attend school The next phase will see the WASH Programme rolled out at Little Roses, which currently has no working toilets or hand-washing provision. #sanitation #hygiene #equalopportunities #menstrualhealth #education

Today is #WorldToiletDay 🚽, and it is a chance for us to come together to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. This year, African Adventures Foundation was awarded funding to continue the vital work of our WASH Programme at our partner schools in Ghana after the success of the WASH Programme in Zanzibar. The first stage, the construction of the toilet blocks and menstrual health management rooms, has been completed at Dornorgbor School and Ashata School and will help improve the health and hygiene standards of over 1,330 students. The new toilet blocks comprise 11 gendered and lockable latrines (five cubicles for boys and six for girls). In addition, four handwashing stations with clean, piped water have been installed. Through the construction of these new facilities, our aim is to enable all students to reach their potential by reducing absences from school because of hygiene-related illnesses or a lack of confidence in managing menstruation.🎓 #cleanwater #toiletday #education #Ghana

Today, as we come together to celebrate World Children’s Day, a day dedicated to securing every child’s right to health, safety, and opportunity, we also reflect on the pivotal role of access to sanitation in shaping their futures. Following yesterday’s United Nations World Toilet Day, and in the spirit of #WASHWednesday, I am amplifying this year’s theme of ‘Toilets – A Place for Peace,’ as they are more than a necessity, they are fundamental to dignity, health, and progress, creating the secure environment every child deserves to grow and thrive.  As of 2023, UNICEF reports that in Nigeria, the lack of adequate sanitation is one of the most significant threats to children’s wellbeing, with over 48 million people defecating in the open, 179 million lacking access to safe drinking water, 117 million without a decent toilet, and only 8% of the population practising proper handwashing. When toilets, and water, sanitation and hygiene systems fail, or worse, do not exist, the resulting health crises disproportionately impact women, girls, and children, robbing them of their right to health, education, and opportunity.  The Wellbeing Foundation Africa remains steadfast in our mission to achieve ‘Safe Toilets for All by 2030,’ recognising sanitation as a fundamental human right and a vital step toward securing children’s futures. Through programming such as the #WBFA Dettol Nigeria Hygiene Quest Curricula, supported by social impact partners Reckitt, we empower schools, communities, and healthcare facilities to promote behavioural change and drive progress on critical #WASH targets.    On this World Children’s Day, I urge governments and stakeholders to prioritise investment in sanitation infrastructure and education. Every step toward eradicating open defecation and ensuring safe WASH systems is a step toward a healthier, fairer, and more peaceful world where every child’s rights are upheld.  #WorldChildrensDay   #WorldToiletDay   #WBFADHQ   #WellbeingForAll   #PartnershipsforChange

Lack of proper sanitation facilities and the absence of changing rooms in primary schools are some obstacles that hinder girls from progressing with their education. For years, Ntonda Primary School, in the area of Traditional Authority Phambala in Ntcheu district, faced a severe sanitation crisis, significantly impacting students’ performance, particularly female students. "The school management’s attempts to construct toilets were unsuccessful. Our existing toilets were dilapidated and insufficient for the approximately 1,400 students. The threat of diseases, including cholera, was immense, leaving the entire school vulnerable," narrates Michelle , a student at the school. Today, Ntonda Primary School has new and improved toilets constructed by World Vision. The modern toilets, which consist of a change room, have six toilet compartments, including a disability-friendly one and a handwashing facility. #water |#sanitation |#hygiene |#HygieneMatters |#hygienesolutions World Vision World Vision Southern Africa World Vision USA

Today, we are headed to Intellect Learning Field, Ebute Metta Lagos, to teach children aged 5-7 in about the importance of handwashing, particularly in observance of Global Handwashing Day 2024. Themed: “Why are Clean hands still important”. We are participating in Global Handwashing Day to raise awareness, mobilize resources, and engage youngsters in promoting hygiene. We are teaching handwashing through fun activities, songs, and games which we believe can lead to positive behavioral changes, ensuring that children remember and practice these essential habits for a healthier future. We believe early education on hygiene fosters lifelong habits, significantly reducing diseases like diarrhoea and respiratory infections common in many underserved communities. Secondly, proper handwashing helps prevent the spread of germs, creating a healthier environment in areas lacking sanitation. Moreover, empowering children with health knowledge enables them to take charge of their well-being and share this knowledge with their families, amplifying the initiative's impact. With this activity, we are engaging the children in health education to promote community involvement, to encourage parents and guardians to learn alongside them and foster a culture of hygiene. This initiative aligns with global health goals set by organizations like the WHO and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. #Global #Handwashing #Community #Knowledge #family #Children #Sanitation

Safe WASH demands close connections In this report on a present public health challenge facing a slum community in Lagos, the indicators are clearly linked to the problem of detachments. To address the needs of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), the effort must be closely connected - provision of water, sanitation facility as well as hand hygiene facility. While that is done, it is also very important to educate and engage with the community on what they should be able to do with regards to utilisation and best practices. My experience from doing community studies on WASH, particularly in urban slums, shows that the people must have have significant input from the design state of whatever programme of intervention you want to do. This published report of a field study by graduate students of the Mass Communication Department, Unilag, explains to us the why. A Foundation had provided this community with borehole water, but at this critical moment they are unable to access water, because the system is powered by petrol to pump the water. The community cannot afford the high cost of petrol, so it turned to drinking water from an exposed dup well. Truth is, a localised hand-propelled well would have been preferable. For a handwashing station, little children in the community could be taught how to make tippy-taps using available plastic containers. Of course, availability of soap is important, there are recipes for home-made soap. But, like a community leader in this report highlighted, educating the people is of great importance. No one component of WASH is less important; the drinking water sources must be safe, sanitation facility must be improved, in order to avoid exposure of fecal matter to the people, and hand washing stations (Suitable for the immediate environment). It is not enough to nurse fears. But my fear right now is that the cholera outbreak is still very much around, and this present environment provides a veritable ground for it. #cholera, #safewater,#sanitation, #handwashing, #hygiene, #environment https://lnkd.in/d8V43Rd2

Prioritise the health and dignity of our children through accessible #sanitation! 🧻 The Philippines have found a way to address the lack of toilets and improve school attendance. 👩🎓 Want to know how? Watch the video as Dexter Galban from the Department of Education Philippines shares important insights! Together with partners, we are working globally to enhance hygiene and sanitation systems. In collaboration with Unilever and Economist Impact, we have been working on a study. Learn about: 🌍 The significant impact of the lack of school toilets on #education 🚽 The latest data from World Health Organization & UNICEF monitoring 🧑🏫 How accessible toilets benefit not only children but society as a whole: https://lnkd.in/eRuJz9kR #WorldToiletDay Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)

The perennial struggle to access water and sanitation remains pervasive in the global south, particularly in sub-Sahara Africa where States are largely lackadaisical about these issues. For the girl-child these issues indeed present a double jeopardy scenario, intersecting important rights such as education, health, including Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). With the increasing spotlight on developmental issues on the continent, it is time legal and policy makers began to prioritize these issues, starting with increased budgetary allocations. #righttowater, #righttosanitation, #MHM

Our project accomplishment is providing sufficient information to girls about their bodies. Now girls know about their period cycle, how and when to change pads, and how to dispose of them, and they learned proper sanitation practices. We overcame the stigmatization of periods. One of the biggest project accomplishments was providing Menstrual Hygiene Products to unprivileged girls. Three ways that made our project successful are as under: 1. Time Management and sticking to the agenda helped me to achieve my project goals. 2. Recruiting volunteers from the village was the best decision. Our team has been so cooperative in reaching out to girls both from their schools and community. 3. Involving teachers and mothers provided a sense of community, security, and a social ground to actively participate without any fear or hesitation. Global UGRAD-Pakistan IREX U.S. Department of State Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network #Redtalk #periodpovertyawareness #periodpositive #periodproblems #periodpower #education #menstruation #menstrualmanagement #hygine #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #redtalk #breakingthecurse #irex #ugradpk #globalugrad #usa #pk #puan #awareness #bleedred #mythsvsfacts #mensturalhygiene!

Safety Concerns Hinder Girls' Education: Sanitation Issues in Schools in Rural Ethiopia Did you know that the world is not on track to achieve universal access (>99%) to basic WASH services in schools by 2030? Achieving universal coverage will require a twofold increase in the current rate of progress on basic drinking water, a twofold increase in progress on basic sanitation, and a fourfold increase in progress on basic hygiene services (JMP-2024 https://lnkd.in/eDFrRcua). In rural Ethiopia, school should've been a safe place to learn, but lately, it felt scary. The problem? The one, beat-up toilet for girls. Not only was it dirty and lacked running water, but it was way too close to the boys' one. Boys sometimes followed the girls there, making them feel unsafe and embarrassed. They worried about being bothered by boys, so they avoided using the toilet at all. This made them uncomfortable and it was hard to focus in class. Water was another headache. The girls remembered nights their mom woke them up to fetch water from a faraway water point. They'd carry the heavy jerrycan, often missing school because they had to travel to another village for water, waiting in long lines that made them late for school. Getting period was a natural part of growing up, but for girls at school, it meant missing out. If it started before school, they'd stay home for days. If it happened at school, it was a nightmare. There were no pads to use, and nowhere safe to change. This isn't just a local issue; millions lack access to these basic needs. Access to clean water and sanitation is not a privilege, it's fundamental to a healthy life and thriving communities. What can we do to ensure everyone has access to safe water and proper sanitation? Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts or inspiring stories in the comments below. #WaterIsLife #SanitationMatters # GirlsEducation #WASHinSchools #JMP2024 #MHM #WASH #School