Eziachi Primary School, Orlu LGA, Imo State, is a public school with over 300 pupils who had been without functional WASH facilities for six years. The only existing toilet, a pit latrine, had long been abandoned, and the school’s borehole had deteriorated beyond use. This created significant hygiene and safety challenges for the children.
During an assessment for an education block-grant aimed at supporting school fee waivers for vulnerable children, the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC Orlu), a CBO implementing the CDC-funded ACCESS Project under Caritas Nigeria, identified the deplorable state of the school’s WASH facilities. Recognizing the urgent need, JDPC Orlu entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the school management to rehabilitate the facilities as part of the block-grant support linked to school fee waivers.
The organization renovated the abandoned toilet, converting it into a modern water-system facility, and fully rehabilitated the damaged borehole to restore clean water supply to the school.
During the commissioning ceremony, the community’s President General, Mr. Nwadike Emma Obilo, expressed profound gratitude to the American people for “coming to their rescue” with this impactful WASH intervention. The Headmistress, Mrs. Onyekwere Grace, also thanked the team, noting that such support had never been experienced in their community. She pledged to work with the Community Improvement Team and other stakeholders to safeguard the facilities against vandalization.
This intervention directly supported school fee waivers for the re-enrolment of 10 vulnerable out-of-school children identified in the community. The pupils, who previously had no safe place to defecate, were excited and relieved, expressing their appreciation to the American people for improving their school environment.
