Lead Facilitator of the Advocacy Action on Girls-Friendly WASH in School Project, Atty Facia B. Harris says that PAYOWI will continue their advocacy activities to assure girls the friendly WASH project is fully implemented in schools despite its completion.
Atty Harris and Hawa Wilson, alumnae of the Mandela Washington Fellow program were granted funding from the US Department of State to implement a project following the vigorous application process.
By providing the evaluation and assessment report at the end of the project, Atty said several methodologies were used which include scientific and right-based approaches in ensuring administrators and students have better understanding of WASH in school.
She also said the factor indicators talked about are the universal access to safe drinking water for all, access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene, ending open defecation and paying attention to the needs of women and girls.
She added that the project exceeded its one-year duration due to the academic calendar year, noting that the exhaustion of the project fund will not halt the process.
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She disclosed that there were limited sanitation conditions as all of the schools had no menstrual health and hygiene facilities.
She added that though the project fund has finished, the issue around ensuring girls-friendly WASH in school is an ongoing thing.
The Country Focus Person for Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, Amanita Kamara, in a statement said the availability of a functional, Girls-Friendly- WASH in Schools Project can positively impact health and learning outcomes, especially for female students.
She said safe sanitation and hygiene can boost student health and education and can prevent numerous tropical diseases.
She noted that to address some of the unmet hygiene needs of female students, menstrual health and hygiene in schools can be supported by constructing private, secure sanitation and washing facilities as well as menstrual pad disposal facilities.
She called on the government to institutionalize WASH policies and practices and continue to evaluate, using the provided indicators and tools to increase school attendance and cognitive development by ensuring a healthy and physical learning environment for students, especially girls to perform better.
She, however, called on the PAYOWI to continue to raise awareness and share knowledge to influence policies and practices that affect people’s lives.
She added that involving families, communities, students and school administrators in WASH interventions promotes a sense of ownership.
As it would equip them with the tools needed to advocate, engage, and influence dialogue and public outreach sensitization on school WASH activities.
The WASH Commission representative, Fatu Rogers, in a remark thanked PAYOWI for giving an eye opener to WASH in school.
According to her, WASH in school is important for female students who go through their monthly menstrual cycle.
She said that the WASH Commission will work closely with PAYOWI to extend the project to other schools
