WASH for SMART Cities Brings New Sanitation Facilities to Wambwa Primary School.
The administration and parents of Wambwa Primary School in Mbale City have praised WaterAid Uganda for its support in providing new toilet facilities for pupils. The school received separate toilets for boys and girls, significantly improving the learning environment.
At the commissioning ceremony on May 15, WaterAid Uganda Country Director Ernest Gbekor highlighted that poor sanitation facilities had previously led to high absenteeism and low enrollment rates.
Gbekor emphasized the broader impact of the WASH for Smart Cities program, which has been extended to December 2024.
You can’t have a smart city without WASH facilities. These improvements are essential for enhancing the quality of life. We’ve implemented similar projects in healthcare facilities, markets, and other public places.
We want these investments to benefit future generations. We call on the school to train children on maintaining these facilities and to become agents of change.- Ernest Gbekor
The Improvements extended beyond just toilet facilities. WaterAid also provided water tanks, ensuring a reliable water supply at the school.
Our previous toilets were in such poor condition that they caused high absenteeism and low enrollment. Since receiving the new toilets under the WASH for Smart Cities program, our enrollment has skyrocketed from around 600 to 1,854 pupils. The school’s facelift has even attracted visitors interested in our transformation.
- The Headteacher, Asaba Hassan
Josephine Runyuru, area councilor for Industrial Division East and Minister of Finance, Planning, and Administration for Mbale City, expressed her gratitude for WaterAid’s contributions. She particularly praised the design of the girls’ toilets, which include incinerators for sanitary waste disposal and changing rooms for menstruation periods, making the school environment more comfortable for girls.
We are so appreciative of the new facilities provided to our schools and health centers. The girls are even happier than boys because they have an incinerator and a changing room where they can change during their menstruation periods.
- Josephine Runyuru
The WaterAid WASH for Smart Cities project, supported by Kimberly Clark, continues to make a significant difference in communities, fostering better health, hygiene, and educational outcomes.
About the WASH for Smart Cities Project in Mbale
The WASH for Smart Cities project, initiated by WaterAid Uganda and supported by Kimberly Clark, has made transformative impacts in Mbale. This initiative aims to integrate comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions into urban planning to create healthier, more sustainable cities.
In Mbale, the project has led to the construction and refurbishment of essential sanitation facilities in schools, healthcare centers, and public spaces. Notable improvements include the provision of new toilet blocks and water tanks at St. Joseph Musoto Primary School and Wambwa Primary School, significantly boosting school attendance and hygiene standards.
By addressing the critical needs of urban communities, the WASH for Smart Cities project not only improves public health but also enhances the quality of education by ensuring students have access to clean and safe sanitation facilities. These efforts contribute to creating a more inclusive and resilient urban environment, aligned with WaterAid’s mission to achieve universal access to water and sanitation.
