The stink is gone as Unicef gives pupils better toilets

TEN-year-old Japhet Andreas loves school, but for the past few years he has dreaded going because he didn’t like the school’s pit toilets.
“I like school very much but I used to get sick a lot,” he said.
“Our toilets had no seats and it was smelly.
“The small children defecated around the pit and I used to vomit a lot after using the toilet.
“Our new toilets have good seats, they don’t smell and they have doors.
“We also have a new tank and sinks to wash our hands after using the toilet and after playing.”
United Nations children’s fund (Unicef) built a number of ventilated pit latrines, with proper seats and installed a 9000-litre rain-water tank for the 150 students who attend Korepa Elementary School in the Daulo district of Eastern Highlands.
Nestled against the Daulo foothills, the school’s location is picturesque, but it is separated from road access by a fast-flowing
stream 20 metres downhill from the school.
For years this stream was the only water source for the school and nearby communities.
“Before Unicef gave us the tank, we used to walk down the hill to the stream to drink and wash our hands,” Andreas said.
“A lot of the time we didn’t wash our hands after using the toilet because we didn’t like walking down the hill just to wash our hands, especially when it rains because the footpath is very slippery.”
“Now we don’t need to go to the stream for water.
“We have the tank and we can wash our hands at the sinks.”
The work at Korepa Elementary is part of water and sanitation
hygiene (Wash) projects through the installation of the new latrines and building hand-washing
stations in schools around the country. In some schools, Unicef is also adding changing rooms for older girls.
This is expected to contribute to an increase in school attendance by older girls as they will no longer need to return home to change during menstruation.
At Korepa Elementary School, headmaster Logani Gunia has gone a step further by providing soap and hand towels for his students so they can properly wash their hands.
“I thank Unicef for the tank and toilets,” he said.
“The community is pleased about this.”