According to Water Aid,over 130 million people in Nigeria which is two thirds of the total population don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Despite the huge health problems caused for the growing population, sanitation is not prioritised by all with huge gaps in the sanitation infrastructure, making access to simple facilities like toilets impossible for many people especially school children.
The poor state of water and sanitation facilities in most Nigerian primary and secondary schools is a leading factor for declining health, reduced productivity and decreased learning outcomes among children of school age and this has irrepressible consequences on their individuality, families and their communities.
In most rural schools and of course,some within the urban centers, unhygienic makeshift latrines ( pits of various shapes and holes) are being relied upon as their major excreta disposal facility. In a typical school of random selection, it is either water supply is non~existent or inadequate for the total population of staff and students or the available *HOLES* (latrines) are not functioning properly or they are padlocked due to mismanagement. To cap it all, Girls attendance rates are low because they were always late because they were fetching water.
Lack of safe, private toilets and hand washing facilities in many schools in Nigeria do not only increase susceptibility to communicable and non~communicable diseases ranging from helmintic inflection, malaria, diarrhoea and worm infestations, respiratory infections and under-nutrition,it significantly affects school enrolment and academic performance, particularly in the case of girls.
The impact of water, hygiene and sanitation falls disproportionately on women and girls, the main carriers of waters (UNICEF 2009).
We are pleased to announce the launch of an innovative program; WaSH~For~Education with Nigerian Youth Action for Water (NYAW) with an overaching goal of deploying the provision of safe water and clean sanitation facilities as a potent tool in developing healthy learning environment benefiting both learning and health.
From January 2017,we shall be working with local and national and international organizations to set standards for water and sanitation systems, promoting good sanitation and hygiene to communities and schools to ensure lasting changes. Our focus shall revolve around the provision of technical water facilities, hygiene education and sanitary support to help improve learning outcomes in rural/underserved schools , prevent water and sanitation related diseases as well as promoting healthy behavior in the future generations of adults.
At AREAi, we remain committed to reshaping the state of quality education in Africa,one community at a time, building an African continent where
every child regardless of their geographical location,socioeconomic status and religious background will live to their fullest potential and contribute actively to societal transformation.
Welcome to the Official Blog of Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative 