Boys, girls share latrines, report says
Jul 04, 2010
A SHORTAGE of latrines in Jinja district has forced teachers in some primary schools to share the available facilities with their pupils, while in other schools, boys and girls use the same latrines, a survey has shown.
By Charles Kakamwa
A SHORTAGE of latrines in Jinja district has forced teachers in some primary schools to share the available facilities with their pupils, while in other schools, boys and girls use the same latrines, a survey has shown.
The survey, which covered 22 schools, was carried out by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) and the Jinja Network for the Marginalised Child.
It established that the situation had deprived children of their privacy and promoted child sexual abuse.
The findings were released by
Jimmy Obbo, the Jinja ANPPCAN programme manager, during a meeting of child rights activists and district leaders at the district council hall on Wednesday.
Obbo said in Magwa, Walukuba East and Masese Co-educational primary schools, which are government-aided, the latrines were in a sorry state and not sufficient to support the population of the schools.
The municipality inspector of schools, Stephen Katankula, cited other schools with inadequate latrines as Mpumudde Estate, Mpumudde Methodist, Jinja SDA, Lakesite, Main Street and Narambhai primary schools.
Katankula, however, said they used sh46m received under the schools facilitation grant in the 2009/2010 financial year to construct pit-latrines in some of the schools. He added that there was need for more funds.
The report also highlighted the plight of adolescent girls who are subjected to trauma due to lack of sanitary towels. The girls also lacked special rooms for convenience, or changing dresses for emergencies.
Other issues noted as affecting children included forced or early marriages, floods, lack of meals at schools and jigger infestation.
A SHORTAGE of latrines in Jinja district has forced teachers in some primary schools to share the available facilities with their pupils, while in other schools, boys and girls use the same latrines, a survey has shown.
The survey, which covered 22 schools, was carried out by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) and the Jinja Network for the Marginalised Child.
It established that the situation had deprived children of their privacy and promoted child sexual abuse.
The findings were released by
Jimmy Obbo, the Jinja ANPPCAN programme manager, during a meeting of child rights activists and district leaders at the district council hall on Wednesday.
Obbo said in Magwa, Walukuba East and Masese Co-educational primary schools, which are government-aided, the latrines were in a sorry state and not sufficient to support the population of the schools.
The municipality inspector of schools, Stephen Katankula, cited other schools with inadequate latrines as Mpumudde Estate, Mpumudde Methodist, Jinja SDA, Lakesite, Main Street and Narambhai primary schools.
Katankula, however, said they used sh46m received under the schools facilitation grant in the 2009/2010 financial year to construct pit-latrines in some of the schools. He added that there was need for more funds.
The report also highlighted the plight of adolescent girls who are subjected to trauma due to lack of sanitary towels. The girls also lacked special rooms for convenience, or changing dresses for emergencies.
Other issues noted as affecting children included forced or early marriages, floods, lack of meals at schools and jigger infestation.