US rehabilitates school ablution blocks

ZOLANI KRAAI
Correspondent | Thursday June 13, 2013 00:00

This will be noted at the launch and ribbon cutting ceremony for the rehabilitation of ablution blocks at two schools in Gumare on Friday. The ceremony will be performed by the US' Deputy Chief of Mission, Michael Murphy, who will also officially hand over the project.  According to the Communication Specialist of the Southern African Regional Environment Programme (SAREP), Lovemore Mose, 1,600 students will benefit from the rehabilitated ablution blocks at the two Ngamiland schools.

The project also seeks to have buy-in in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development's (MoESD) Adopt-a-School initiative.  Mose told Mmegi this week that the rehabilitation of the facilities was made possible by the American people through funding under the auspices of SAREP. SAREP works collaboratively with the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) to improve livelihoods and protect natural resources within the Okavango River Basin.  'The lack of functional toilet facilities has been a chronic challenge to community education as it encouraged an environmentally unsustainable trend of open defecation,' Mose said. This compromised hygienic lifestyles and caused absenteeism from school.  The project was inspired by the 'Community-Led Total Sanitation' approach, a hands-off technique that allows for a diverse range of communities to work together towards eradication of open defecation and ultimately promote a cleaner community.

Mose said the project is not different.  It is also not a once-off effort to repair the sewerage and defective toilet facilities. Instead, efforts will be made to improve and monitor the facilities.  'This is an American people's commitment to improve the health, education and general wellbeing of rural communities across Botswana,' said Mose.