Problem

The Kaloi primary school was established in 1984 and is attended by 187 girls and 209 boys aged five to 14 in 2019. 15 teachers are employed at this school. Most of the students are from villages nearby – still, some of the students walk long distances to school, often barefoot.

At the time of our baseline assessment at the end of 2018, the school consisted of five classroom blocks of two classrooms each. Some of the classrooms were also used as dormitories and administrative rooms for the teachers. In total, there was an acute lack of sufficient classrooms. As a result, two classes were sometimes held in one room at the same time. Due to the lack of dormitories, a lot of students dropped out of school in the higher grade levels. This especially affected girls, who help their families with housekeeping or are subject to early marriages and pregnancies, if their route to school is too long or dangerous. The sanitary facilities of the school were also in a desolate and unhygienic condition. The lack of washrooms and of a water supply was an obstacle to visiting the school regularly, especially for the girls.

Learning achievements of the students didn’t occur at the desired rate, the drop-out-quota was very high, teachers were about to move away to surrounding towns and the unhygienic and unhealthy situation at the school negatively impacted the motivation of the remaining students and teachers.

Our solution approach

During our visit to the school in October 2018, we were welcomed by a heartwarming ceremony organized by parents and school personnel. A group of parents took it upon themselves to convince the other parents of the importance of education. This resulted in an active parent-teacher association whose commitment has consistently impressed us and convinced us to support this school. Their dedication showed us, that there is an existing foundation which guarantees that infrastructural progress at this school will be accepted and utilized by our target group.

In cooperation with Welthungerhilfe and Viva con Agua, we wanted to fulfill the wish for education in the community by improving the learning and teaching conditions at the school in the long run. Our aim was to replace all the dilapidated buildings, build dormitories for the students and to ensure that an adequate amount of sanitary supplies were provided at the school. Moreover, we planned to educate the school community through the use of workshops about topics related to hygiene and the maintenance of buildings. All of these goals establish an integrative approach that supports at least three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) directly:

• Quality Education (SDG 4)
• Gender Equality (SDG 5)
• Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6)

Starting in March 2019 we built gender-separate composting toilets at the school. We also started the construction of washrooms for both boys and girls. In 2020, to provide a safe water supply, we rehabilitated the existing cistern and implemented a rainwater catchment system. We would like to thank Viva con Agua Sankt Pauli, who financed the majority of these costs in the first phase of the project. Accompanying these infrastructural measures, two WASH workshops implemented by Viva con Agua Kampala educated both students and teachers about hygiene and health in a playful manner. This way, health risks due to a lack of hygienic practices can be prevented.

The construction of dormitories for boys and girls started in October 2019. The dorms  were built to prevent students with long commutes from dropping out of school. Beginning in January 2020, we also started renovating the most dilapidated classrooms, very dilapidated. This ensures that teaching takes place in an appropriate learning environment. All activities are complemented by workshops and the establishment of committees for the sustainable maintenance of the new structures. However, these workshops won’t commence again until the COVID019 restrictions are relaxed.