Kwala Secondary School Latrine Project

Before 2009, Kwala Secondary School had only four latrines for 352 students, and no toilets for its 13 staff members. Further, the existing latrines were rundown and unsanitary, and there is no separation between the boys and girls latrines. Many times, students are so appalled by the thought of using the school latrines that they leave school to go to the bathroom and do not return.

Throughout the 2008/2009 school year, students from NTC Club at Newton South High School raised more than $4,000.00 to build eight new latrines at Kwala Secondary School. Boys and girls from each form now have their own latrine, and are responsible for keeping it in clean and sanitary condition. The latrines were collaboratively built by members of NTC’s July 2009 group trip to Kwala and members of the Kwala School Community.

Sanitary latrines will help prevent the spread of infectious diseases at Kwala Secondary School, including hepatitus A.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the NTC Latrines Project, including the fundraising efforts of Peet’s Coffee and Tea and Barnes and Noble!

Kwala Secondary School Water Harvesting Project

Both teachers and students depend on water in order to carry out daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, and drinking. Most students depend on the school to provide them with three meals per day. However, when water is unavailable because the community pump is broken, students are left without food. On these days, students often miss school because they are too hungry, forced to try to find alternative food sources for themselves. A reliable source of water would allow Kwala Secondary School to start their school garden and maintain the NTC Orchard Project which can both provide students with healthy fruits and vegetables and serve as a potential source of income for the school in the future. Water is also necessary to keep conditions sanitary in Kwala’s new latrines, built by NTC in July 2009.

The NTC Committee in Kwala proposed, voted on, and started construction of a 75,000 liter rain water harvesting system that will capture rainwater from the roofs of Kwala Secondary School. Additionally, the Kwala Community has offered to divert the village water supply directly to Kwala Secondary School, allowing the school to fill the tanks when harvested water has run out. The community also offered water to the school at a discounted rate because of the large quantity of water the school will be purchasing. Further, the large quantities of water stored at the school will prevent the school from running out of water when the village water supply is not working. The project was completed in March, 2011.