School Health and Sanitation
School sanitation is vitally important considering that 60% of the Kenyan population is in the school going age bracket. In the target informal settlements that Maji Na Ufanisi works in, there is a big percentage of primary school going children. These children attend the nearest public primary schools which are usually overpopulated due to the Free Primary School Education policy by the government.
In the quest to achieve the MDG 7, Maji Na Ufanisi realized the need to extend the water and sanitation provision to public schools that are heavily burdened with the implementation of Free Primary Education policy by the government in the effort to achieve MDG 2.
Generally the public primary schools experience poor sanitary and hygienic conditions, characterized by the absence of properly functioning water supply, sanitation and hand washing facilities. Consequently, lack of proper water and sanitation in the schools contributes to heavily used and filthy toilets, resulting in open defecation around the school compound, increased rates of school drop outs especially girls who are menstruating who would not go to school due to lack of privacy and sanitary towels. In addition there is increased highly contagious water borne illnesses resulting to poor school attendance consequently poor class performance contributing to high primary school drop outs.
Focus Group Discussions with Pupils from Shadrack Kimalel, Muthangari and Kariobangi South Public Primary Schools in Nairobi during a School Sanitation & Hygiene Assessment visit to the schools by community organizers from Maji Na Ufanisi.
Children spend a significant amount of time in and around schools and this has a major impact on their wellbeing, with this view point Maji Na Ufanisi considers School sanitation important to facilitating sanitary & hygienic facilities both at home and school creating an enabling learning environment in which children can perform to the best of their ability. This led to the public schools assessments in Nairobi province in December 2006.
Out of the assessments, Maji Na Ufanisi embarked on the school sanitation program through being involved in rehabilitation and expansion of water and sanitation facilities and systems in public schools and establishing hygiene and health clubs that will provide a forum for both the children and staff to learn and discuss hygiene and sanitation, thus improving on the knowledge, attitude and practice towards water and sanitation.
Maji Na Ufanisi is making significant efforts in resources mobilization towards the SSHE Programme in partnership with international non governmental organizations that value children’s’ education such as UNICEF and WATERCAN.
Maji Na Ufanisi staffs were touched by the plight of the girl child in the public schools and started a sanitary towels kitty, where by the staff contribute towards it to provide sanitary towels to one public school each month in their areas of work, as a personal contribution.