My School Latrine is my Dignity
Construction of gender-segregated improved latrine blocks enables girls to feel safe.
Dinknesh Bizuneh is 13 years old, a grade eight student at Huro-Malga primary school of Bensa woreda SNNP region. Like many other school children in Ethiopia, Dinkinesh would like to be a doctor when she grows up. The newly built gender-segregated latrine helped Dinkinesh to attend school without missing any classes.
“In previous times” says Dinkinesh “before the new latrine was built, I used to go to open fields for defecation where others can see me, making me feel ashamed and uncomfortable. Most of the time I went to the toilet at home before I came to school. But if the natural call comes while I am at school, I have to go far away to hide from students fearing the teasing and often times I also go back home which forces me to miss classes. “
“Now, my new school latrine supports my dignity” said Dinkinesh. Boys are not allowed to come to the girls’ latrine block, and no one can tease me, I can lock the door from the inside and do my business. I feel comfortable using it any time. I didn’t miss any class for this reason.”
“Now, my new school latrine supports my dignity” said Dinkinesh. Boys are not allowed to come to the girls’ latrine block, and no one can tease me, I can lock the door from the inside and do my business. I feel comfortable using it any time. I didn’t miss any class for this reason.”
“I am happy and proud to have this latrine in my school. I would like to contribute in any aspect that my school has requested me to do to keep it clean and usable.”
The school principal, Mr Agegnehu, mentioned that the latrine blocks are being cleaned regularly by students as per the schedules set by the school every Wednesday and Friday. Moreover, schoolchildren were given orientations on proper utilization of their latrines.
Poor sanitation is detrimental to the health of school-aged children, who spend long hours in schools. Open defecation also significantly affects the health and well-being of those children. According to the national costed sanitation micro plan of 2018[1], only 23 per cent of schools in Ethiopia have separate blocks of improved latrines for girls and boys. Huro-Malga primary school is among the schools in Bensa woreda benefiting from the construction of gender-segregated improved latrine blocks (eight stances each); built by UNICEF with financial support from the French National committee fund to UNICEF. The total number of students in the school are 503 (253 females and 250 males). The school exceeds the revised national standard of school toilet cubicle to student ratio i.e one cubicle to 50 girls and 75 boys in rural areas. In this school, it is now one cubicle to 31 girls and 31 boys.
In addition to its health benefits to the school children, the construction of the latrine blocks is a source of dignity and pride to all the students in general and girls in particular, with significant contributions to the general learning environment. School children used to go far away from the school compound to hide from their friends whilst open defecating, resulting in missing some classes which impacts their school attendance and performance. But now, this is not an issue in Huro-Malga primary school because the latrine is easily accessible to every student.
The UNICEF-supported school WASH programme is implemented in collaboration with the SNNP Regional Health Bureau and Bensa woreda health office with generous funding from the UNICEF French National Committee with support from Volvic. This support will hugely enhance the wellbeing and dignity of school children contributing to the improvement of their school performance.
Ethiopia has one of the lowest basic sanitation coverage rates in Africa at about 7 per cent, and an open defecation rate of 22 per cent. This means that approximately 22 million people practice open defecation, with a higher incidence in rural areas (27 per cent) compared to urban areas (5 per cent).
UNICEF Ethiopia has identified ending open defecation as a flagship programme that aims to empower all communities (kebeles) in all parts of the country to end open defecation, practice appropriate hygiene behaviour, and progressively use basic inclusive and gender-friendly sanitation services at household, community and institutional levels, including in humanitarian settings.
