SUCCESS STORY

Schools Gain Access
to Fresh Water

March 2006 - Three large schools shared the same complex and a single toilet facility for 70 teachers and 1,131 pupils in Lagos Island, a metropolitan Local Government Area in Lagos State.  Ebute Elefun, Tinubu Methodist and Holy Cross public primary schools, like so many other public buildings in the area, had no access to a water supply.

When odors from the toilet facility pervaded the school, it became almost impossible to concentrate on lessons, and pupils took turns fetching water for the toilets and for general use. They left home for school each day only to roam the streets in search of water.  While some pupils replaced their books with buckets, others used the opportunity to skip school.  

This was the challenge faced by the three schools until the Community Participation for Action in the Social Sector (COMPASS) project came to the rescue.  Integrating the three PTAs into a nearby Community Coalition, COMPASS introduced them to new roles in improving the learning environment. The PTAs learned to identify and prioritize their needs and manage their resources for general school improvements. The first need that received overwhelming consensus was the problem of school water supply. 

The school PTAs applied for and received a grant from COMPASS to construct a borehole, which now provides water to the three schools within the compound. Pupils no longer miss the first two lessons and attend classes with full concentration and participation. Ebute Elefun’s Assistant Head Teacher, Alhaja A. M Sanni, says “The toilets are now neat and in good condition and pupils no longer roam the streets for water”.