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PROJECT CONCEPT
Club Name: Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands
Project Title: Improvement of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Security at Bukatira Primary School and Bukatira Health Center
Rotary Areas of Focus:
(a) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(b) Peace Building and Conflict Resolution
Bukatira Primary School is a church-founded public school located at Bukatira village, Segaye parish, Semuto sub-county, Nakaseke district in Central Uganda approximately 56 kilometers from Kampala via Hoima Road. The school was opened 50 years ago, and currently has an enrolment of 511 pupils, 269 girls and 242 boys; and 12 teachers and non-teaching staff. The school is both day and boarding, and sits on 10 acres of land that was donated by Church of Uganda (Anglican), Bukatira.
The school is located adjacent to two community institutions, Bukatira Anglican Church and Bukatira Health Center. In fact, the school, the church and the health center are within a radius of 1.0 kilometers from each other. Moreover, the Reverend's residence is a few meters from the school. The church receives an average of 200 worshippers every Sunday while the health center attends to about 400 patients per month including expectant mothers. The health center shares the same building block with Compassion International which offers vocational training to community children.
Key stakeholders met
On 20th February 2021, a team of 3 Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands conducted a Community Needs Assessment in Bukatira Primary School and Bukatira Health Center. The team held meetings with key community stakeholders including pupils (girls and boys), teachers, Head teacher, the Senior Woman, Church Reverend, Chairman School Management Committee, Chairperson Parents & Teachers' Association (PTA), PTA treasurer, members of PTA, the Doctor and a mid-wife from Bukatira Health Center, the Nakaseke District Water Officer, Area District Councilor and some community members. The team also had an engagement with teachers and pupils from neighbouring primary schools of Lukumbi, Nvunanwa and Segaye. Following the meeting the team inspected facilities at the school and the health center to ascertain their state and adequacy.
The needs that were identified
The team identified the following community needs: -
i) About the School
• Although the girls had adequate latrines, 8 stances for 269 pupils (stance to pupil ratio of 1:37 compared to the standard 1:40 pupils), the latrines lacked adequate lighting. Also, there were no handwashing facilities nearby. The boys on the other hand, 242 in number had only 4 stances, translating to a stance to pupil ratio of 1:61, more than one and a half times the recommended ratio. The boys' wing also lacked handwashing facilities nearby. The team further learnt that two years ago the school with support from parents had started construction of an 8-stance latrine facility for the boys. Construction however stalled at slab level due to lack of funds.
• Neither the girls' nor the boys' latrine blocks had friendly stances for disabled children.
• Despite the school having several buildings from which rainwater could be harvested, it had only two 10,000-liter plastic water tanks. They were insufficient to provide water to the boarders, day scholars and teachers for cooking, washing and other daily operations particularly during the dry season. Moreover, the alternative clean water source, the public borehole is shared with the community, the health center and the church; and often suffers mechanical breakdowns which sometimes takes several months to rectify.
• The school lacks a fence, which exposes it and its assets to insecurity as evidenced by the theft of one 10,000-liter tank and damaging of the water taps. The team learnt this had caused a conflict between the school and community.
• Although the school is connected to the national grid, Bukatira village often suffers extended power failures. This not only affects the pupils' study time, particularly boarders in candidate classes, but further compromises the security at the school.
• The school lacks a water purification system to provide safe drinking water to the pupils and teachers. In fact, some pupils were seen drinking water directly from the borehole.
ii) About the Health Center
• The health center lacks latrine facilities of its own. It currently uses latrines for Compassion International. During holidays and on weekends when the vocational school is not open, the only option the health center has is to use either the church or school latrines.
• As with the school, there is unreliable source of lighting for the health center due to regular power blackouts in the area. The team learnt that mothers were being delivered by use of candle light during shutdowns.
iii) About the Church
• The church receives nearly 200 worshippers every Sunday. However, it had one latrine facility with only 2 stances. Moreover, the latrine was not sex-segregated, had no handwashing facilities nearby and was generally in poor state. The team learnt that many worshippers resorted to using the school latrines instead which further escalated conflicts between the school and the community.
Project Objectives
a. To improve sanitation and hygiene in the 3 beneficiary institutions through construction of new latrines and provision of associated sanitary facilities
b. To improve availability of and access to clean drinking water by pupils, patients and staff
c. To improve the pupils' learning environment and security of the school through provision of solar lighting and a chain fence
d. To improve co-existence and reduce conflicts between the school, the church, the health center and the community
e. To improve sanitation and hygiene knowledge of the pupils, teachers and the community
Project Beneficiaries
The project will directly benefit 511 pupils, and 9 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff of Bukatira Primary School; 3 medical workers and more than 400 patients at Bukatira Health Center; 200 worshippers of Bukatira Anglican Church; and indirectly more than 700 parents and other community members.
Proposed activities to address the identified needs
• The uncompleted boys' latrine block at Bukatira Primary School will be completed by erecting the walls and roof, fitting steel doors and windows, plastering and painting of walls, and floor screeding and finishing. The stance dedicated to disabled children will be fitted with disabled-friendly accessories. A handwashing station will also be provided nearby.
• Two new segregated pit latrines, one each for Bukatira Anglican Church and Bukatira Health Center, complete with handwashing stations will be constructed. Each latrine block will have 4 stances.
• Lighting in the girls' latrine as well as in the room for menstrual hygiene management will be improved by replacing some iron sheets with translucent sheets; and by connecting the conveniences to the solar lighting system to be provided.
• The school and the health center will each receive two 10,000lt. plastic water tanks for rainwater harvesting to improve availability of and access to water by pupils, patients and staff.
• A solar powered lighting system will be installed at both the school and health center to improve lighting and security at the 2 facilities. Likewise, a standard Solar Powered Water Purifier will be installed at both facilities to improve utilization of clean and safe drinking water.
• Sanitation and hygiene education that focuses on WASH related issues will be conducted in the school and community where issues including Covid-19 will be addressed.
• A chain link fence will be constructed around the school to improve security.
• Training the community, especially women in the production of reusable sanitary pads as a way of economic empowerment.
The proposed project will be implemented in partnership with the 3 beneficiary institutions who will among others, designate an area for installation of the project facilities/infrastructure, offer space for grant trainings, and provide security for the installed facilities. They will also undertake regular maintenance of the facilities after Rotary grant activities conclude. On the other hand, Rotary will procure the other components of the project including water storage tanks, solar equipment, water purifiers, bricks, cement, paint, fittings and masonry and other technical expertise.
Similarly, the project will be executed in close collaboration with local partners to enhance sustainability. The District Education Officer, the District Water Officer, the District Inspector of Schools and the District Health Officer will provide the necessary technical input, oversight and follow-ups, and will participate in the proposed project trainings while the church and community leaders will mobilize worshippers to participate in the project and offer project monitoring.
Budget estimates
No. Item description Cost
1. Completion of boys' latrine (with associated sanitary amenities) US$ 5,700
2. Construction of 2 new latrines (with associated sanitary amenities), one for the church and one for health center US$ 9,000
3. Installation of 2 water tank with rainwater harvesting systems US$5,600
4. Repair of existing latrines, water tanks, fixing translucent sheets etc. US$ 700
5. Installation of 2 solar lighting systems US$ 5,950
6. Provision of 2 solar water purifiers (for the school and health center) US$ 2,900
7. Construction of a chain link fence around the school US$ 6,200
8. Training (sanitation and hygiene + making reusable sanitary pads) US$ 4,200
9. Monitoring and evaluation US$ 1,200
10. Rotary signage US$ 300
11. Contingency US$ 2,000
Total US$43,750
Funding (Host club & D9213 contributions)
1. Cash contribution from Rotary Club of Kampala Ssese Islands US$5,000
2. DDF from D9213 US$ 5,000
TOTAL US$10,000
Contact Information:
a. Agnes N. Mugwanya Email: agnesnmugwanya@gmail.com Tel. +256 772 485873
b. Helen Kawesa Email: hnkawesa@gmail.com Tel. +256 776 926091
c. Kabwama Nelson Email: kabwamanel@yahoo.com Tel. +256 774 130341
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