The application of innovation for sustainable and inclusive sanitation in schools
A snapshot on Uganda’s sanitation
For decades, schools around Kampala have experienced the challenge of paying high water bills to sustain their WASH facilities. As much as they receive funding from the government, it isn't enough to cater for their sanitation needs.
The value of adequate WASH facilities in schools cannot be overstated. According to UNICEF, WASH infrastructure and services in schools are critical to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment where all children are envisaged to reach their educational potential.
Confronted by the challenge of finding a holistic solution to this problem, WaterAid Uganda has partnered with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to develop the Single Flush Female-Friendly Toilet.
Introducing the Single-Flush Female-Friendly Toilet
This new toilet design has been built with water-saving technology that integrates the pit latrine model with pour-flush technology. This design is meant to improve the sustainability of WASH services by reducing water bills facing public schools as it allows toilet flushing at scheduled intervals. Further, the design is such that faecal waste drops into a 2-feet channel. The superstructure has a concrete slab with drop holes covered with sato pans.
The model is also meant to cater to inclusive sanitation by paying attention to the needs of girls and persons with disabilities. The facility has a shower room that is connected to an incinerator where the girls can bathe and dispose of used sanitary pads while managing their menstruation. The Single Flush Female-Friendly Toilet has been tested in five public schools in Kampala, and KCCA is scaling up the design in more schools with support from other partners.
The instant impact of the single flush toilet
Based on studies from the five pilot schools, anecdotal data collected at the tail end of 2019 (pre-pandemic), suggests that access to WASH has significantly improved. Further evidence demonstrates that the schools have found these solutions more sustainable as they can meet their water and maintenance bills.
“We only had eight toilet rooms, of which four were for girls, and the other four were for boys," said Bagaala Ahmed Luyirika, the Head Teacher of Natete Muslim School, a government primary school located in the Rubaga Division, Kampala.
"The sanitation condition was very poor because the toilets were dilapidated, and the flush (existing waterborne system) system had collapsed.
“It was common to see students queuing to use the toilet facility, especially during break and lunchtime. In addition, the old toilets were poorly constructed, lacking proper aeration, dark inside and smelly.
“The toilets would get full every month, and we would empty them at least twice every three months at UGX 300,000 (Approximately USD 82). On the other hand, the water bills were always very high due to continuous flushing after use. The bill would range between UGX 800,000 and UGX 1,000,000 every three months (Approximately USD 273)."
Most importantly, female students are now able to manage their menstrual cycle privately and hygienically. As an added benefit, the improved access to WASH has had a spill-over effect on student enrollment.
"I have witnessed increased enrolment in the school," he said. "In 2017, for example, the student enrolment was 605 for both boys and girls. In 2018, the enrolment increased to 1,037 (526 are girls and 511 boys) students. In 2019, enrolment increased to 1,222 students (617 girls and 605 boys). The number is expected to increase because of the improved WASH conditions in the school among other factors."
Improved WASH, operations, and maintenance
Today, Luyirika is thrilled that Nateete Muslim school has improved WASH facilities. He noted that courtesy of WaterAid Uganda and KCCA, the school now has two new sanitation blocks, including one for girls and the other for boys. Each of these sanitation blocks has ten toilet rooms and a bathroom.
The ten toilet rooms also increased accessibility to sanitation for 400 learners, as per the national standard of 40:1 pupil: stance ratio. Additionally, the Head Teacher submitted that the new WASH facilities are, water efficient (each flush uses 20-30 liters of water), easy to clean. They do not smell, and above all, the technology they employ is water-saving.
Our water bill is still very low compared to the old toilet design. These days we pay between UGX 200,000 - UGX 300,000 (Approximately between USD 54 - 82) on water bills every three months
Luyirika said.
In effect, Nateete Muslim School is now saving approximately 70-75% on water bills.
Lastly, the school has a WASH improvement plan developed using the Life cycle costing methodology to ensure efficient operation and maintenance, including capital maintenance. Currently, KCCA provides free emptying services to all its schools. The savings made on water bills are used to buy enough soap, toilet paper, and also to pay for full-time toilet cleaning services.
Safe access for girls, women, and persons living with a disability
Rehem Abigaba, a senior five-student and member of the Natete Muslim School WASH club, shared her excitement over the new WASH facilities.
"I am a member of the school WASH club where I play the role of speaker and advisor of the club," she shared. "The main role of our club is to promote good sanitation and hygiene practices in the school as well as ensuring water safety. Our new toilet is very good, it has ten toilet rooms of which one is for persons with disabilities."
Abigaba was specifically excited about the new facilities for girls.
"We also have a bathroom (changing room) for girls… So, we can manage our period with dignity," she shared.
"Before we got this new toilet, the old toilet was a shame… and it was not easy to access. The new toilet is easy to clean. It is well aerated and connected to the water supply for hand washing and bathing. If I am on my period, it is very easy for me to dispose of used sanitary pads because we have an incinerator connected to the shower room. So, no one gets to know that I am in my period when I go to dispose of used sanitary pads."
To reduce stigma around MHM and PLWD, the toilet rooms allow everyone to use one access point, unlike some, which use separate access points.
The Road Ahead
To achieve completeness in sustainable WASH solutions, the government must devote more resources to innovations like the Single Flash Female Friendly toilet for further testing, development, and upscaling.
Projects like SusWASH aid in improving WASH services and mitigate the challenges therein, in consideration of sustainability and, above all, paying attention to the needs of women and girls to deliver universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
The H&M Foundation
The H&M Foundation supports the Single Flash Female Friendly toilet as part of WaterAid's Sustainable WASH programme. The Sustainable WASH programme aims to improve access to clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene in a long-lasting way.
The programme objective is to ensure that people at all levels, from the government to civil society and the private sector, have the resources and skills they need to play their part in improving access to WASH.
