Reducing Waterborne Diseases in 131 Kenyan Schools

1.0: PROJECT SUMMARY

WE REACH is a community led based organization that employs sustainable solutions through advocacy, health promotion, collaborative programming and knowledge sharing. The organization works closely with the Ministry of Health Kakamega County, to ensure the health standards and wellbeing of children and young people in the communities improves by using sustainable solutions that every child and young people in Lurambi Sub-county obtains healthy living.

WE REACH has ensured that schools have enough water supplies, toilets, disposal pits and enough wash rooms for girls; this improves the health and hygiene standards of the learners. It has provided knowledge and skills to the schools Boards of Management, teachers and pupils in ways that they are able to identify and help establish active and sustainable WASH practices in their schools.

2.0: PROJECT PROGRESS

WE REACH as an organization, has done quite a number of activities like; training of schools heads and Board of Management on WASH programs in schools and COVID 19; training teacher champions and pupils on how to make hand wash liquid soap also sensitizing them, on the need to follow the guidelines given by the World Health Organization (WHO) in conjunction with the Kenyan Ministry of Health concerning Corona virus.

WE REACH has reached 10 primary schools in Lurambi Sub County through education and training. We have supplied liquid hand wash soap during this pandemic period.

2.1: ACTIVITY

• Hold WASH awareness workshops with BOM members, Head Teacher and Teacher Champions.
• Identify and Select two Youth Peer Providers (YPPs) from each school - One male and one female.
• Hold a Teacher Health Champion and YPP training workshop (How to run the health club)
• Participate in public WASH awareness activities

 2.2: PROGRESSIVE OF ACTIVITIES

 WE REACH Community Organization conducted several activities namely; training of school Heads from the 10 schools and Board of Management (BOM) on WASH programs and strategies in primary schools; held workshops with teacher champions and pupils on basic hygiene and menstrual health. We have also strengthened the health clubs in these schools. The clubs have been very active during this pandemic by educating other children in these schools.

2.3: OUTPUT OF THE ACTIVITIES

Training of the school Heads and the BOM members on WASH program has enabled the schools plan on the proper ways of constructing exhaustible toilets for the purposes of sustainability of the facility. This also enabled the school heads to identify teacher champions and pupils who will be young peer educator. The school administration has started providing changing room for girls during menstruation and practicing proper ways of waste management that is disposal of sanitary pads

The workshop of the teacher champions and the pupils has made possible creation and reviving of Health clubs. Through these clubs in the schools have witnessed tremendous changes in regards to basic hygiene like; cleaning the toilets, ensuring there is enough water and soup in every washing point and being ambassadors of Health by being role models to other pupils.

2.4: IMPACT  

It has resulted in change of behavior of teachers and pupils on sanitation and other health related issues. Most of the school have embraced water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs because they have seen its benefit not only to them but the community at large.

5.0: LESSONS LEARNT

• Training schools on soap making reduces the cost of transport and increases project sustainability
• Good hygiene promotes good health
• There is need for more sensitization of COVID19 especially for schools

 6.0: SUCCESS STORIES

WE REACH has recorded a number of success stories from when the program started way back in march. These are has follows;

The organisation has been enable to support the Ministry of Health Kakamega County by donating hand washing liquid soap almost every month. The donation of the soap was ment to fight against this notorious Corona Virus. The soap was later distributed to various places like; health facilities, prisons, markets, schools, public institutions among other places.

WE REACH conducted a training of the Head teachers and board of management of the ten schools that the organisation is working with within Lurambi Sub-County on WASH programs in schools and COVID 19 response. Through this training the schools have taken some positive steps in implementing what they had learnt. They have made sure that there are hand washing facilities at strategic place in the schools with soap.

The school administration have liaised with the teachers to ensure that the pupils have face masks and they have worn them properly every time. Provision on changing rooms for girls during menstruation has been provided in most of the school.

The organization managed to train teacher champions and pupils on basic health hygiene and on how to make hand washing liquid soap using local material. They were later on given the ingredients of making the soap. The schools were able to make their own soap and save some money which the used in buying hand washing facilities that will accommodate everyone to promote social distancing.

7.0: RECOMMENDATION

• The organisation with the help of teacher champion should support health clubs in schools to ensure effective implementation of the project
• Creating awareness on the existence of hotline to report on issues of gender based violence, social inclusion and discrimination.
• Schools should work together in providing hand washing facilities at least in most sensitive at of the school like at the gate, outside the toilet, at the kitchen and out the classrooms.
• To sensitize the community in the need to conserve the water springs and their roles in combatting this Corona Virus.