St. Paul’s Primary School
St. Paul’s Primary School in Zomba District, Malawi, has an extremely large enrollment of 2,665 students and only 24 teachers with a sprawling campus of 15 classrooms. Students walk to school from as far as 7km away. In the overcrowded classrooms, students sit on the floor as there are no desks to accommodate them. Beneficiaries of this project will also include many of the 17,000 community members.
The school had one shallow borehole well within its premises however, it breaks down frequently and dries up during the dry season (April-November), forcing the students to spend class time retrieving water in Nakholo Village about 1.5 km from the school.
Most of the latrines at the school were in bad shape and were a health hazard to the learners and teachers. The boys’ toilets, installed in 2002, are in very poor condition, with no doors, and are dirty. They are impossible to empty and should be decommissioned. The girls’ toilets were built in 2014 as a disaster relief response, however, they are in poor condition, with no doors, and are dirty. It is not possible to empty them, and they should also be decommissioned. As with most of the structures at the school, the girls’ changing room did not have a door and offered no privacy. There were no hand-washing facilities, contributing to high instances of water-related diseases.
Our implementing partner, Freshwater Project International, drilled a new deep borehole water well and installed a hand pump with a drainage apron on campus. They also built VIP (ventilated improved pit) latrines for both girls and boys with locking doors. All of the sanitation facilities have hand-washing stations adjacent, and more hand-washing stations will be located close to the classrooms. Students will also receive hygiene and hand-washing training. Additionally, students will receive a supply of Procter & Gamble Purifier of Water packets to educate them on the importance of clean water and hygiene and to purify water in their homes.
Thank you to Holy Taxiarhai and St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Niles, IL, for supporting this project!
