Seven primary schools in Kotido district have seen a significant increase in enrollment and improved educational outcomes following the implementation of a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project funded by UNICEF.
Donato Oola, the Kotido Chief Administrative Officer, confirmed the positive impact of the initiative.
The beneficiary schools are Lomukura, Lokiding, Lopuyo, Lokitelaebu, Losakucha, Kotido Army Napumpum, and Panyangara primary schools.
At Panyangara Primary School, the pupils’ enrolment has since doubled from 700 to 1,493 pupils within a period of three years.
Primary Seven pupils at Panyangara Primary School lauded UNICEF for its efforts in promoting education in rural schools through these WASH projects.
Beyond direct sanitation, the availability of water has also supported tree and vegetable growing initiatives, contributing to environmental conservation efforts within the schools, according to the CAO.
The UNICEF-supported project, backed by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) from 2018 to 2023, aimed to improve retention rates by enhancing access to water, hygiene, and sanitation services in Karamoja schools.
A report indicates that the initiative has positively impacted the lives of 65,016 pupils and students across the Karamoja region.
