Chief Mutsembi ecosan Primary School Project

by Moses Wakala (posted through C.Rieck)

Community projects initiated during consultancy and other ecosan activities
During this period of consultancy (funded by GTZ sustainable sanitation - ecosan program - Germany), a number of sensitization and awareness creation meetings have been done within the country. This was aimed at capacity building and ecosan advocacy within different people. This has yielded positive results within the region promoting ecological sanitation practices. As a result, a number of projects have sprouted with local funding from individuals and government as a replication of what was promoted in EPP. The following selected example is a project that I have seen started and partly completed. They require some evaluation, training and subsequent follow-ups.

Chief Mutsembi Primary School ProjectThe primary school with a population of 880 pupils and 23 teachers has four pit latrines where the pupils and female teachers share a toilet. There is a crisis because the school is situated next to a water source that supplies part of Kakamega Town. The Ministry of public health has issued a warning for closure of the school due to lack of proper sanitation. The water ministry has not approved the excavation of pits due to the polluting effect they have on the underground water.
Constituency development fund which has been funding the school establishment under the parliament act and free primary education scheme has stepped in to fund construction of the ecosan toilets in the school to curb the problem. The school plans to construct 12 doors from Oct 2010 to early next year to alleviate the problem.

Artisans on work at chief Mutsembi Primary School
in Kakamega converting a closed septic tank to a dry toilet