Africa-Press – Uganda. HEALTH|SANITATION|TOILETS
Residents of Bunyangabu, Kabarole have embarked on construction of safely managed toilets.
At least 74,130 residents from the two districts have benefited from the new sanitation technologies. Under a program Financial Inclusion Improves Sanitation and Hygiene (FINISH) Mondial, the residents have been able to construct 12, 355 safely managed toilet facilities within one year.FINISH project manager Teo Namata said the program aims at achieving; Universal Access to safe and well-managed Sanitation facilities, Healthier and economically empowered communities.
Amref works in partnership with Caritas HEWASA Fort Portal, Kabarole and Bunyangabu District Local governments to contribute to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well Being, SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation and SDG17 on Partnerships for the Goals.”While promoting construction and use of improved toilets, the FINISH team pays much attention to handwashing practice. This is the very reason why the campaign for hand washing during the COVID-19 pandemic has been easy to do activities for the people of Bunyangabu and Kabarole Districts,” Namata said.The safely managed toilets include Ecosan toilet, pour flash, flush double leach, among others.Impact of FINISH MondialNamata said communities have been able to have access to safely managed sanitation toilets with functional hand washing facilities adding that during COVID-19 pandemic, the program has contributed to reduction of Water Sanitation and Hygiene related diseases like diarrhoea and typhoid which were very rampant by the time the program started.
She added that the program has also changed the quality of life of women and people living with disabilities.She further revealed that women have become more informed, assertive and motivated to propel their households to attainment of improved sanitation.She added, “There are women, female youth and male trained as masons and currently supporting communities in construction of the promoted sanitation technologies.”The country director Amref Dr Patrick Kagurusi applauded women for bringing additional force to improve and expand sanitation in communities.”If you combine the force of women and youth, you expect the impact to be greater than what we are having right now. It is also a way of empowering women to be more resourceful and skilled. If you support a woman, you are also supporting an entire household,” Kagurusi said.FINISH Mondial was ranked the best program that contributed to SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation through the million toilets which were constructed.
The LC 1 chairman of Katunguru village James Katusiime said his village has constructed over 30 safely managed toilets adding that, if all people in his village could embrace the new technologies, it would promote a safe environment and people would be healthy.He added that for a long time his people have been suffering from cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea due to drinking water from boreholes, which water was mixed up with excreting from underground.The District Health Inspector Cecilia Birungi is optimistic that with the new technologies, water sources will be safer with no contamination and reduce sanitation and water-borne diseases.
