Bathrooms and Washing Sink at Ayalagaya Secondary

Proper bathrooms promote equal educational opportunities for boys and girls

The construction of new bathrooms at Ayalagaya Secondary School was part of a plan of Karimu to promote healthy habits and practices and mitigate health problems caused by unhygienic conditions. Taking into consideration the age of the secondary school students, we are especially concerned with providing adequate facilities for girls to manage their periods and feel comfortable to attend school throughout the school year. Our goal is to give girls the same opportunities as the boys have to pursue a good education.

Many girls are ashamed to go to school in the week they are having their menstrual cycle, because their pads may not provide the protection they need for the whole time they are not at home and their clothes might get stained with blood. Access to proper toilets helps reduce the stigma and shame related to menstrual hygiene. For that reason, a flexible water hose is installed in some of the girls bathroom stalls to be used as a handheld bidet, so they can wash themselves.

There is also a washing area with sinks for them to wash their clothes, in case they get stained, and ways to hang clothes to dry.

An incinerator will get rid of sanitary hygiene waste.

All of this is within high walls to ensure the privacy of the girls. Based on direct feedback from women from the local community, this is what is needed to create an excellent school environment for girls.

The project encompassed:

• Construction of boys’ bathrooms with

  • 8 stalls with flush toilets, including stalls for disabled kids

  • 7 urinals

  • faucets for hand washing

• Construction of girls’ bathrooms with

  • 16 stalls with flush toilets, including stalls for disabled kids

  • faucets for hand washing

  • private, outside area to wash and dry clothes

  • flexible water hose for personal hygiene in some of the stalls

  • private room with access to menstrual pads

  • incinerator

• Septic tank to keep the environment clean

• Construction of large sink with several faucets for hand-washing

Benefits:

• Reduction of disease and increase of menstrual hygiene

• Higher school attendance and enrollment

• Improved performance on national exam

• Increase of school retention rate for girls

• Empowerment of girls

Cost: The total cost of both bathrooms are $43,110.00 and the large sink for hand-washing is $1,779.00. The community contributed $5,577.00 to the project by:

• producing the necessary bricks

• collecting and delivering sand to the construction site

• collecting, delivering, and crushing stones for the foundation

• providing labor

Karimu contributed $39,312.00

Learn more about Karimu Education Program .