Girl’s enrolment and retention has greatly improved in some Karamoja schools, following the intervention of non-governmental organisations and partners.

This development has been attributed to provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities through construction of latrines, bathing shelters and incinerators for girls with support from UNICEF and funding from Korea International Cooperation Agency-KOICA.

The head teacher Pokot S.S in Amudat district, Boniface Oculi says in 2018 before the project, the school enrolment stood only at 84 students compared to the 535 students that the school has registered now.

Oculi notes that the attendance of lessons by girls has improved from less than 45% to about 100%,unlike before when students studied only half day as they utilized the other half of the day to trek over two kilometers in search of water.

In Kotido Army primary school, out of the 1,517 learners enrolled, 568 are girls while 549 are boys and this has been attributed to the presence of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities which provide a conducive environment especially to the girls during their menstrual cycles.

According to the school head teacher Yason Robinson Opio, other than a boost in enrolment, the presence of water in the school has promoted school gardening, thus improving on the diet of learners.

Epiphany Alakara, a primary six pupil at Kotido Army primary school says the WASH facilities at school saves time, has improved their hygiene especially during menstruation since water is constant.

On the other hand, Faith Esther Cheperur -a primary seven candidate at Loroo primary school in Amudat says the project has equipped both boys and girls in her school with the knowledge of making re-usable sanitary pads as well as liquid soap.

Cheperur adds that since most of their parents are poor, they can now afford to make re-usable sanitary pads for themselves while at school and also transfer the skill back to the community.

With Unicef support and funding from Korea International Cooperation Agency, schools like Loroo primary and Pokot SS in Amudat,Losakucha,Maaru,Napumpum,Lopuyo,Kotido Army and Lokitelaebu primary schools in Kotido district and Koya and Orwamuge primary schools in Abim district have benefitted from WASH facilities and some of these services have been extended to the surrounding communities.

According to the beneficent schools, they have also been able to collect some revenue from the water from communities, which funds are being used to maintain and rehabilitate the motorized water systems and also procure basics like firewood for the schools.

The schools have however called upon government to emulate the intervention of UNICEF and its partners to extend these services in all Karamoja schools in a bid to improve enrolment, retention and performance since the region is largely water stressed.