Organisation for Community Empowerment plans to build water purifying systems in 40 schools in Southwestern Uganda. The water purifiers will help to improve attendance, health, development, and hygienic practices among all pupils, but will also help increase girls' attendance and retention rate in school because they will not feel pressured by lack of clean and safe drinking water
Uganda has a high rate of student dropouts, standing at 75%. This high dropout rate falls disproportionately on girls due to lack of adequate infrastructure in schools that cater to girls once they begin their menstrual cycle. Without basic facilities and privacy provided to girls, some girls may be absent for 10-20% of their total school days. This project will provide sanitation facilities & clean water to 2,000 pupils (1,000 of which are girls) so they can complete their primary education.
Organisation for Community Empowerment Lyantonde (OCE) will provide a water purifying system and sanitation facilities for all pupils attending area schools. The sanitation facilities will include a specific, private area for girls, which will reduce the pressure they feel to be absent from school during their period. In addition, the girls will be trained on how to construct and maintain reusable menstrual pads.
This project hopes to increase the retention rate of girls in primary schools, allowing them to be empowered and prepared for a brighter future. Girls that complete their education are more likely to break the cycle of poverty, contribute to economic and political ventures in their country, give birth to and raise healthy children, and protect themselves against HIV. OCE hopes that the success of this project will act as a model that will result in the implementation of similar projects.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
