School boasts new ablution facility thanks to dept, trust
Learners from Mamathieledzha Primary School in the rural Ha-Sidou village outside Thohoyandou will no longer have to relieve themselves in the bushes or in a dangerous old pit latrine toilet thanks to Mvula Trust and the Department of Education.
LIMPOPO – Mvula Trust in conjunction with the Department of Education built a modern ablution block at the school which personnel from Mvula Trust officially handed over to the school last Monday.
School Principal, Mmbangiseni Nengwenani, said he was thankful for the donation. The new ablution facility comprises nine modern toilets which will make the sanitary needs of the learners and personnel safer.
“Learners from our school used the bushes as a location to relieve themselves which was a great concern for us as they had the risk of being bitten by venomous snakes. There are also old dilapidated pit toilets they had to use but these were just as unsafe and unhygienic because they risked falling in due to the dilapidated state of the toilets,” said Nengwenani.
He added that the new ablution facility will help restore the dignity of the learners.
The management of the school approached the department after they came to the conclusion that the facilities at the school were a threat to the learners’ lives. The department agreed to assist them and they together with the Mvula Trust embarked on the project to build safer sanitary facilities at the school.
Mvula Trust Spokesperson, Alex Modiba, said they plan to help other schools in rural areas by building proper ablution facilities for the learners.
Speaking on behalf of the learners, Juliet Musiwalo said life has changed for the better for all the learners at the school. She said they now feel safe as they no longer have to go to the bushes when nature calls.
