rise’s work on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

rise‘s work on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

“Growing up in a clean and safe environment is every child’s right. Access to clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices not only keeps children thriving, but also gives them a healthier start in life.” – Unicef

Lack of sanitation can be a barrier to individual prosperity and sustainable development. When children, especially girls, cannot access private and decent sanitation facilities in their schools and learning environments, the right to education is threatened. Poor sanitation puts children at risk of childhood diseases and malnutrition that can impact their overall development, learning and, later in life, economic opportunities. According to UNICEF, as of 2015, nearly one in ten children in Lesotho dies before reaching their fifth birthday. Too many of these deaths are due to the effects of unclean water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene, which increases a child’s vulnerability to disease and infection. Most of Lesotho’s ten districts report a high percentage of households using unprotected water sources, and about 20% still need access to improved sanitation facilities. That is why we have partnered with various organizations and entities to address this urgent challenge. 

What rise has achieved so far…

Ever since the existence of Seboka Primary School, over 600 learners yearly have endured poor sanitation due to a lack of healthy sanitation facilities and no running water anywhere on the school site. We are so proud of our in loco pioneers xyz collaborative for building new toilets for the learners and staff and Mokhethea Civils and Contactors for constructing the percolation system, as part of our 5 Hub Schools project thanks to the support of a not for profit organization called Action Ireland Trust (AIT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training of Lesotho.

Our in loco Pioneers PRO Construction successfully constructed rainwater harvesting systems in 2 schools with the help of sponsorship from the British High Commission in Lesotho and AIT. The boreholes, together with the rainwater harvesting systems now provide a regular flow of clean running water to the schools, facilitating general good hygiene and frequent handwashing amongst learners and the schools’ community – an essential healthy habit in these Covid-19 ridden times. This access to running water also makes food preparation in the schools much easier, provides much needed water in the food gardens constructed by Green Yards, another in loco Pioneer company while promoting food security and food hygiene, and further supplies constant water circulation in the newly built toilets. 

Why food gardens? You may ask. School lunch is the only meal that many of the learners in these schools get each day and therefore being able to grow their own nutritious food is vital for the learners’ feeding program and overall health & nutrition hence the construction of these food gardens. The schools are also able to sell excess produce to raise funds towards their operational costs.

The food preparation of over 600 learners was done in the outdoor area of Leqele Primary School. It is so amazing to have our in loco Pioneers Presto Construction Company build a new kitchen for this school also with clean water supply. It is integral that food be prepared, handled and served where there is access to running water.

To curb the spread of the Coronavirus, we built handwash stations in all 5 schools in the Lithabaneng area which promoted hygiene and the safe handling of food. On the same mission, xyz collaborative built 105 more hand wash stations which were installed in all 10 districts of Lesotho in various health clinics, hospitals, child care facilities as well as busy town areas in partnership with UNDP, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health.. We built 10 more for a semi-rural community called Motimposo to lessen the number of communities that did not have access to running water and were thus at the highest risk of contracting the virus.

Safely managed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services are an essential part of preventing and protecting human health especially during infectious disease outbreaks, including the current Covid-19 pandemic. Our mission is to ensure that young people exist in environments that allow them to develop so they can one day join the fight against poverty in Lesotho and the Subsaharan African region at large.

We call on you to help make a difference with us!