Yemisi Dada
Students of Oregun Junior High School in Onigbongbo LCDA especially girls, will no longer miss classes during their monthly period.
This is because an NGO WaterAid Nigeria, in collaboration with Cummins, has constructed modern female friendly toilets with a pad bank and solar powered borehole with twelve thousand liters tanks as well as two groups of hand washing stations within the school premises.
At the inauguration and handover of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH facilities to the school authority, the Chairperson Onigbongbo LCDA, Mrs Olufunke Rekiya-Hassan, commended the NGOs for their investments and life transforming services which would improve learning and school attendance.
“On behalf of Onigbongbo LCDA and Oregun Junior High School, I want to thank WaterAid Nigeria and Cummins for their investments in WASH facilities for schools in Lagos, they have not only invested in the lives of the students alone but the state government also and Nigeria in general, we say a big thank you”
While presenting award plaque to WaterAid Nigeria and Cummins as a show of appreciation, the School Principal, Mrs Adesola Ajimuda and the students representatives, promised to make good use of the facilities while imbibing a high standard maintenance culture to ensure the longevity of the WASH facilities for the benefit of new generations of students.
Earlier, WaterAid Nigeria Country Director, Ms Evelyn Mere and the team lead Cummins, Mr Mark Oni-Okeke, said the project is part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities to ensure that everyone, everywhere have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene to keep diseases away.
The duo appealed to the school authority not to lock up the WASH facilities for only special guests and visitors to use, but to ensure all students have access to the conducive toilet environment to boost their dignity and self worth.
“The provision of these life-transforming services will improve learning and school
attendance as children, especially girls, can stay in school because they have access to clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene. For members of staff, it will provide an atmosphere conducive for effective learning and teaching to take place for the nurturing of future leaders”
“WaterAid Nigeria appreciates Cummins for its commitment to fund interventions
that bring about transformative change in underserved communities. We appeal to
the school authority, Oregun community and Onigbongbo LGA to sustain the
facilities being commissioned today”
“We sincerely appreciate the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Tutor General for Education District 6 for granting us access to the school. We thank the principal, Management and Staff of the school for being receptive to our intervention”
“We call on the state government to invest in the replication of this project in schools
across the state to make education a pleasant experience for all children in public schools”
The three year project which will end this year, aims to reach almost two hundred thousand people in target locations of Ikorodu North, Onigbongbo, Orile-Agege and Mushin LCDAs with water supply, sanitation and hygiene services.