NGO Donates Handwashing Facilities To FCT School

By: Prudence Okonna

To promote healthy living among school-age children in the Federal Capital Territory by cultivating the habit of constant handwashing, the Center for School Health Education and Environmental Hygiene (CSHEEH), has donated hand-washing facilities to Junior Secondary School (JSS) Byazhin, a suburb of Abuja.

The donation was made during an event organized by CSHEEH in commemoration of the Global Handwashing Day, Thursday in Byazhin Community, a suburb of Abuja.

Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director, CSHEEH, Dr. Folashade Momoh, said marking the Global Handwashing Day provides opportunity to educate people both young and old about the significant role of washing hands with soap and water in preventing the spread of germs and associated diseases.

Momoh explained that the simplicity and affordability of handwashing with soap and water cannot be over emphasized; adding that it plays a pivotal role significantly in reducing the number of young children falling ill, thus minimizing school absenteeism.

According to her, the installation of the handwashing facilities and renovation of toilets facilities in JSS Byazhin is part of efforts made by CSHEEH to align with the 2023 theme, “Clean Hands Are Within Reach”, which encourages the joint efforts of stakeholders to ensure that these facilities are within the reach of everyone who needs them.

Commissioning the facilities, the Executive Chairman, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCTUBEB), Alhassan Sule, appreciated CSHEEH for providing the facilities and charged schools on the need for maintenance culture to ensure the sustained use of the facilities.

The Chairman who was represented at the occasion by the Director JSS, Rahmat Nusa, lamented the dilapidation caused by negligence of care takers of these facilities, especially when there is damage.

He, therefore, called on the school to make utmost use of the facilities by ensuring adherence to constant handwashing by the students to prevent communicable diseases, which can be contracted through dirty hands.

Sule, charged good spirited Individuals and organisations to emulate CSHEEH and support the efforts of FCTUBEB in bringing education nearer to communities by providing facilities needed to make learning more comfortable for the students as the Government cannot do it alone.

Principal JSS Byazhin, Ishaya Dodo, while appreciating CSHEEH for choosing the school noted that the importance of handwashing facilities cannot be overemphasized as it will protect their students from contracting diseases they are predisposed to.

Dodo also seized the opportunity to appeal to the Board to address some of its challenges like shortage of teaching and non- teaching staff, inadequate seats for both teachers and students, inadequate classrooms and Administrative blocks for the schools.

One of the Teachers while appreciating CSHEEH, Dorcas Ayegbe, revealed that JSS Byazhin ranked first for participating in an anti-open defecation campaign drama organized by the Ministry of Water Resources noting that the donation would encourage practice of the already garnered knowledge by the students.

The donation made by CSHEEH include renovation of toilets and multi water point site with eight taps, installation of six hand washing facilities as well as reconnection of water to the toilet systems. Other donations made include, liquid hand wash and hygiene instructional materials for the students.