As the world comes together to commemorate World Toilet Day on November 19, various organisations are shedding light on the pressing necessity of proper sanitation in schools to ensure dignity, health, and safety for millions of learners worldwide.
This critical issue is starkly highlighted by the 2021 School Toilet Report from Domestos, which found that an alarming nine out of 10 children are negatively affected by inadequate school toilets.
The report correlates poor sanitation facilities with heightened anxiety, deteriorating health, and increased absenteeism.
These challenges often extend beyond school walls, as parents grapple with concerns over their children’s overall well-being and development during their time at school.
In alignment with this year’s World Toilet Day theme, “Toilets: A Place for Peace”, the Adopt-a-School Foundation is spotlighting its vital efforts to improve sanitation in educational environments.
With many schools facing crumbling infrastructure, pit toilets, and overcrowded facilities, the foundation is addressing an urgent need for operational and sustainable sanitation solutions.
Arnold Maluleke, infrastructure programme manager at Adopt-a-School, states: “Inadequate sanitation is not just a health issue; it directly impacts learning and leads to higher absenteeism. Proper ablution facilities are essential to maintaining a safe, healthy, dignified school environment.”
With over two decades of experience, the Foundation has dedicated itself to providing robust sanitation solutions, especially in areas burdened with limited access to municipal water or sewer systems.
Also recognising the day, Baby Soft collaborated with Domestos and the Department of Basic Education to conduct an audit of a few Eastern Cape schools and supply essential materials to support the UN’s 2030 ‘sanitation for all’ goal.
Since launching the ‘Together’ campaign in 2018, Baby Soft has been a transformative force, establishing clean toilet facilities, providing clean water, and installing handwashing amenities at 15 rural schools across Limpopo.
“World Toilet Day is an opportunity to highlight the need for continued support to upskill cleaners and curb the negative impact of poor sanitation on students’ well-being, as well as their academic performance due to absenteeism,” says Baby Soft brand manager, Siyolise Shinga.
“We have placed great effort into building the necessary infrastructure in the past years, with 212 school toilets constructed in the Limpopo region. Now, we are focusing on sustaining those efforts through ongoing maintenance and upkeep of these facilities, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where our initiative commenced this year.”
Shinga further reveals that schools receiving these much-needed facilities also benefit from educational materials and training for cleaning staff to manage proper maintenance.
“The first Saturday of November also marked National Children’s Day, and in light of that, we want to urge South Africans to support us in our mission to provide children with the basic right to a clean learning environment,” she adds.
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za