Precipitation for education

The children of St Bernadette’s school in Lower Nsooba in Uganda do not complain about the rain. Instead, they are using the rain to solve their water problem.

Lower Nsooba, which lies on the outskirts of the capital Kampala, is typical of the peri-urban settlements found in the developing world.

Unplanned and rapidly expanding, the school is in the middle of houses built so close together there is no space for adequate waste disposal. 

Open drainage channels flank the streets and seep into the ground spreading infectious diseases and contaminating water supplies.

The water tank has improved school life. The children have more time to study because they do not have to collect water and it is cheaper for the school because we do not have to buy water.

Working with WaterAid in Uganda and its local partner Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI), St Bernadette’s school installed a rainwater harvesting tank.

The technique was ideal for the school as the stored water is safe from contamination and can be used all year round. Pipes and guttering on the roof catch rain as it falls and send it to a tank fitted with a tap. Pupils now have access to a supply of safe, clean water.

Previously, the children spent a lot of time every day collecting water from an unsafe well. Incidents of diarrheal diseases were high and children regularly missed school. Globally, 443 million school days are lost annually due to water-related diseases.

Head Teacher Bernadette Nassiwa Bwoni states, “The tank has improved school life. The children have more time to study because they do not have to collect water and it is cheaper for the school because we do not have to buy water. We are able to buy more stationery for the children.”

Access to clean water is just the first step in creating a healthy environment at St Bernadette’s. Attendance rates are still being affected by the lack of adequate sanitation facilities for pupils.

Teacher James Wamako explains, “We only have a small toilet with two rooms for all of these children. The toilets have been getting full up. They cannot support the amount of children here. The teachers have to use one toilet and the pupils use another.”

The pupils can however look forward to a brighter future. By continuing to work with CIDI they will soon have a new latrine block and good hygiene messages will be taught through music and games.

Together, water, sanitation and hygiene education can reduce diarrheal diseases by 65 percent. By providing all three, St Bernadette’s school is laying the foundations of a healthy and positive future for all its pupils.