Schools for Salone (SfS) has improved hygiene at FAWE School in Wara Wara Yagalah Chiefdom in Kabala, Koinadugu District. The school now has three new solar-powered taps and a latrine, providing 140 girls and their teachers with adequate toilet facilities and access to safe drinking water. FAWE has received three new classrooms thanks to SFS, with two more repaired.
Kabala district faces challenges in accessing water, especially during the dry season. FAWE School, located within the district, is not exempt from these difficulties. Students often arrive late to fetch water before and after school.
“Most of our students have no other option but to walk to nearby communities to fetch water for school, which disrupts their learning,” said Elizabeth Haja Korio, the Headmistress of FAWE School, Kabala.
The school administration highly appreciates the repairs and the new appearance of the toilets. Students and teachers no longer have to wait until they get home to use the restroom, saving them from strain and embarrassment.
According to UNICEF, only 16 percent of Sierra Leoneans have access to essential sanitation services, and 58 percent have no access to basic water services.
“All of our schools have access to water and sanitation and are aligned with the Global Goal—SDG 6—availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” said Cindy Nofziger, SfS founder and Executive Director. Nofziger was a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone in the 80s.
Clinton Caulker, an SFS partner in the Northern Province serving Falaba and Kabaka districts, regularly conducts community outreach. He checks on school buildings and remote areas in need of schools.
“We took on this project because, during my visit, I noticed dilapidated buildings, lack of water supply, and inadequate toilet facilities, especially unsuitable for the attending girls,” said Caulker. The FAWE school is the only all-girls school in Kabala for students from low-income families. In addition to academic instruction, the school also offers vocational education in areas such as tailoring, carpentry, catering, and masonry.
SFS has constructed 43 school buildings in Sierra Leone in the past two decades. This Seattle-based non-profit organization has expanded access to quality education through local partners since 2005.
