Cape Primary School at the back of Hotel Bamoi, Aberdeen in the West end of Freetown has gone for the past years without proper hygiene. Pupils were using pit latrine which had filled to the brim, allowing an invasion of maggots, causing a very serious threat to sanitation of the school and its environment.
The pupils themselves had virtually abandoned the toilets and prefer going to their respective homes to answer to sharp call of nature. The situation had become unbearable to parents and most of all the school’s administration. It has created an impediment to learning as when children go to home to ease themselves, they don’t return to school anymore.
The Head Teacher Kojo Emmanuel Musa had referred to the situation as a cause to poor pupils’ performance. With just 334 pupils in the school, he said prior to the degrading condition of the toilet, (which was a reason for pupils leaving the school earlier than normal) pupils, he alleged, were doing their best in NPSE and school exams.
He said they had written several projects for the construction of the toilet but all had proven futile until Soroptimist intervened just recently. Short of words, as he said, he could not expressed more gratitude other than wishing that other organizations follow the steps of Soroptimist to bring hope to the hopeless, deprived and vulnerable.
He said Soroptimist intervention in building the toilet came at the right time as it is just few months left for rainy season. He said in the wet season, maggots would overflow the pit and permeate the floors of the toilet and even the school environment.
But now the “storm is over” he declared. The toilets built by Soroptimist are anything you can find in advanced schools and universities. The floors of the five room toilets are tiled with ceramics, washbasins, stand posts connected to main water pipes and toilet-roll apertures. One of the toilets is meant for teachers, two rooms for girls and two rooms for boys in a gender balance format.
In essence the construction of the toilet has given the school’s environment a complete facelift. Parents who were present at the handing over ceremony were glued in admiration. They could hardly believe the Cape School that had been neglected on account of poor hygiene and inconvenience could now boast of ultra-modern toilet facilities.
The President of Soroptimist International Mrs. Doreen Deigh and entourage of her colleagues were overwhelmed by the gesture portrayed by parents, administration and pupils.
In her short statement, she revealed that they were informed by one of their kind, an ex-president of Soroptimist who resides in the neighbourhood that Cape School was badly in need of facilities relating to hygiene.
She said that as one of their primary focuses has to do with hygiene and sanitation in schools, they immediately took upon themselves to bring hygiene to the school. She said through the help of Soroptimist International in England and their yearly subscription, they were able to raise Le 13,000,000 (thirteen million Leones) for the construction of the toilet.
Mrs. Deigh particularly encouraged residents of Cape Community to send their girl child to school to avoid the wrath of poverty and other issues relating to it. She said they should firmly protect their children (girls) from early marriage and teenage pregnancy, which, she said, have been obstacles to girl education.
Representative of the Community Teachers Association (CTA) Francis A. Sungla was so excited that when he was called to give a speech on behalf of the parents, he could say nothing clearer than expressing thanks to Soroptimist.
Traditional dance performed by pupils and acrobats climaxed the occasion.
By Poindexter Sama
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