This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Stacey Weidemann. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.
Stacey reports:
At the beginning of the project, the school restrooms were in terrible repair. The toilets weren’t attached to water; students filled up buckets from a barrel of water in each restroom to flush toilets and rinse off their hands. They were not functioning restrooms at all. The lack of sanitation presented hygiene risks for both students and teachers alike. Many female students skipped school altogether when menstruating. All of these conditions had significant adverse effects on all students’ education and health.
Though this project had a slow start, as the municipality is approximately a two-hour drive away, it has been incredibly well-received. A small group of six 12th grade students volunteered to be given instruction and then to present their own lessons in each class on the topic of personal hygiene. They did this with the support of homeroom teachers and the local Peace Corps Volunteer. These lessons included interactive activities on how germs spread and information on why handwashing is important.
Once the plumber arrived, the renovation work was completed in the course of two weekends. The labor included installing new toilets with working pumps, new sinks, and a water deposit so that students and faculty would have access to water even during the harsher hours of the watering schedule in the warmer months. The stall doors were repaired and new locks were installed.
In total, nearly 300 students and faculty have directly benefited from this project. That number will continue to grow.
The village of Leskovik thanks Water Charity and the Let Girls Learn initiative.
We, in turn, express our congratulations and gratitude to Stacey for completing this excellent project.
