A total of 10 primary schools in Chemosot area within Kericho County benefited from 10,000 litres water storage tanks with objective to boost sanitation and accessibility to clean drinking water, for pupils and students in the rural areas.
The project is meant to provide mega water tanks to schools within Chemosot Ward which is being spearheaded by the area Member of County Assembly Ms. Anita Byegon, who revealed that a majority of schools lacked clean water for drinking and sanitation.
Ms. Byegon who spoke to KNA said the project courtesy of the Change Your Stars Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the USA aims to provide access to water through installation of tanks to 25 schools in Chemosot Ward.
The Ward legislator intimated that the project also purposed to ensure that measures were also taken to ensure the target schools had a treatment option for the water so that children can drink clean and safe water.
“We have officially commissioned the water tanks to the following schools today, Kuumek, Kapsenetwet, Chelilis, Kabitungu, Simoton Kapkusum, Kabartegan, among other primary schools, and we are in the process to install the tanks in the remaining schools.” Said Ms. Byegon.
Change Your Stars Foundation officials led by John Johnson and Annette Johnson said lack of access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities contributed to lower attendance and educational achievement in schools.
“Children deserve a healthy learning environment with easy access to safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene and that is why we are concerned and trying our best to inspire empower and improve the situation through participation,” added Johnson.
During the commissioning of the water tanks at Kabitungu Primary School, the Change Your Stars Foundation officials together with the area MCA, conducted a menstrual health education to the school girls and also gifted them dignity packs.
Ms. Byegon was concerned that there was a rise of school drop outs due to stigma young girls get exposed to during their monthly periods due to lack sanitary pads saying they are still unaffordable to many parents.
“The initiative is called “Days for Girls Program” and we are focusing on the girl-child issues as a whole and we want to ensure that they stay in school and part of the solution we are providing and what we continue to do is to carry out menstrual health education and provide washable sanitary pads that could last for many years,” said Ms. Byegon
The MCA said hundreds of school girls have benefitted from the washable sanitary pads in the area adding that the pads are comfortable and can last for years.
“We are also empowering the boychild in Kericho at various schools to ensure they grow up to be responsible men in the society,” Ms. Byegon said.
By Kibe Mburu and Ezra Kipchumba
