Five basic schools in the Talensi-Nabdam District of the Upper East Region are to benefit from institutional latrine and hand washing facilities.
The beneficiary schools are; Shea Primary, and Junior High Schools (JHS), Dapore Primary and Junior High School, Dariga Primary and JHS,
Tongo-Beon and Zupelga Primary and Junior High Schools.
Rural Aid, a non-governmental Organization (NGO), working in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene is to provide the facilities by the close of June this year.
The project is to be sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), West Water Initiatives with Rural Aid
being the implementer.
The Deputy Programme Coordinator of Rural Aid, Mrs. Zeinabu Mohammed Ayariga, disclosed this when she conducted news men around some of the project sites as part of activities to mark this year's Water and Sanitation Day held in the area.
Mrs. Ayariga noted that apart from water issues, sanitation was another major challenge confronting the country and said that was why her outfit was vigorously embarking on the construction of institutional toilet facilities
in the school to help curb diseases among people especially, school children.
She assured the management, staff and pupils of the beneficiary schools that the projects would be completed by the end of June this year.
She stated that her outfit decided to embark on such projects because almost all the schools in Talensi-Nabdam and other parts of the Region did not have toilet and urinal facilities thereby making teaching and learning very difficult.
She noted girls find it difficult coping during their menstrual periods because there is no facility in which they use.
She stated that each of the beneficiary schools would be provided with two eight-seater toilet facilities for boys and girls and indicated that a change room would be attached to the girls' facilities to address their special needs.
According to Mrs Ayariga, selected teachers would also be trained on how to handle the girls during their menses.
Ms. Ayariga indicated that her outfit realizing water was a major problem confronting the people in deprived areas in some parts of the
district provided 25 boreholes earlier to some of the communities.
The Headmaster of Shia Primary and Junior High School, Mr. Nicholas Akugre, stated that with the school's population of about 1000, it had no any toilet or urinal facilities and this was hampering academic work as they have to walk long distances to defecate in the open.
The teachers in the school were not exempted as they also have to use the only toilet facility attached to the headmaster's house and expressed
optimism that when the project is completed, it would help solve some of the problems.
The Headmistress of Dapore Primary School, Ms. Nancy Akalbila, said the school with a population of about 640 had only a two-seater toilet facility and school children had to join long queues before they could free themselves and said majority of the children had to resort to free range.
Some of the schools visited also complained about non-availability of water as school children had to commute long distances to fetch water before going to school every day.