By Leonard Masauli

Lilongwe, April 28, Mana: Water Aid has recognized M’buka Primary School in Lilongwe by awarding them a K600, 000 water token for their exceptional commitment to sanitation and hygiene practices on the premises.

During a ceremony held at M'buka Primary School Maria Soko, a Hygiene Behavior Change Specialist at WaterAid, explained that the organisation initiated a water and sanitation project due to a high enrollment rate that exceeded the available water and sanitation facilities, resulting in compromised hygiene standards.

Soko stated that WaterAid extended support to four schools including M'buka, Chipala, Mloza, and Kabwabwa by providing additional sanitation facilities such as toilets and change rooms for girls, as well as ensuring access to water.

She emphasized that the decision to assist these schools stemmed from their limited financial resources, which hindered their ability to cover water bills for improved sanitation and girls' hygiene.

"As a motivating factor, we conducted a sanitation competition among the four schools to evaluate their adherence to hygiene standards, focusing on areas such as toilet cleanliness, surroundings, and classroom hygiene.

"We are pleased to announce that M'buka emerged as the winner, receiving a K600,000 water token, while the other three schools each received a K300,000 water token," said Soko.

Primary School Advisor for Mvunguti zone, Chrissy Bondo expressed gratitude to WaterAid for enhancing sanitation and hygiene at M'buka, highlighting the school's previous struggles to maintain hygiene due to water scarcity.

"WaterAid has significantly improved sanitation and hygiene at our school by installing more water points, water tanks, quality toilets, and bathrooms for girls. This initiative has contributed to reducing illnesses and dropout rates, particularly among girls," Bondo stated.

Esther Chunga, a standard seven learner at M'buka, praised WaterAid for providing change rooms for girls, noting that it has played a crucial role in keeping girls in school compared to previous challenges they faced.