Japiemonen Primary School has become the admiration of many people within and around Pokwero Sub – County and Pakwach District, having been supported by Africa Water Solutions (AWS) through WASH Program. It’s strategic location by the roadside makes it clearly visible. The school is located in Japiemonen West Village, Pokwero Parish, Pokwero Sub-County and is among the 64 Government aided Primary Schools in Pakwach District.
Pupils of Japiemonen collect water from a hand-dug pond in Odro Village
Previously, the school had no source of safe drinking water. Consequently, maintaining sanitation and hygiene for both learners and teachers was a nightmare. The learners trekked over 3km to collect water from the only available hand-dug pond in Odro Village, which was shared with animals. This made them miss lessons because of the distance and long hours taken to and from the school. On some days, they resorted to runoff water after a heavy downpour. Sometimes the school resorted to buying. This made the school expenditure increase by more than UGX 15,000 weekly, in addition to the boda-boda transport of UGX 5,000 cost per trip. The school management introduced a payment of UGX 500 per child to meet this cost, but this later failed because most parents could not afford it. Due to dehydration, some learners would leave school and go back home before the end of classes.
These situations resulted in frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases among both the learners and teachers, especially diarrhoea, bilharzia, and intestinal worms, causing them to miss school for an average of 4-5 days every month.
More than Ugx. 20,000 weekly
This money includes Ugx. 5,000 spent on each trip to bring water to the school.
Pupils from Japiemonen P/S on their long trek from the only water source (hand-dug pond), before AWS introduced a WASH program in the school
Today, the narrative is changing. Learners no longer drink unsafe water; AWS has provided 7 sets of water filters for each class. Both learners and teachers have been equipped with knowledge and skills of using the system. In addition, AWS has also improved access to safe and clean water by constructing 2 Rainwater Harvesting Tanks in the same school, with a capacity of 10,000 liters each.
