This World Toilet Day is about ‘Accelerating Change’ through partners, working together to make toilets and proper sanitation accessible to all.
Australia through the Incentive Fund program is supporting Kumin Primary School in Southern Highlands with new ablution facilities connected to a water source for handwashing and flushing toilets, replacing its current pit toilets.
The new facilities aim to improve school attendance for girls by providing appropriate sanitation facilities, as well as upgrading other infrastructure to create a clean and secure environment for students.
Kumin Primary School principal Mrs. Catherine Kanowi says attendance for girls has been exceptionally low because girls do not come to school when they are menstruating due to a lack of suitable, private facilities.
“Academically, absenteeism has affected the assessments of the girls as they progress classes, especially from grades five to eight, and I hope that this will improve with the proposed new ablution blocks,” Mrs Kanowi says.
All Incentive Fund education infrastructure projects aim to improve access to clean toilets, water and sanitary health facilities to help improve enrolment of girls and other marginalised school-aged children.
The new ablution facilities at Kumin Primary School are part of an overall infrastructure upgrade of current facilities through an Incentive Fund grant. The upgrades include construction of classrooms, a library, computer lab, water tanks, hand sanitation stands as well as footpaths and drainage systems.
Perimeter fencing will also be upgraded to encourage students to study at the school, particularly girls, ensuring students have a safe and secure school experience.
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100
Kumin Primary School in the Southern Highlands Province.