Restoring Dignity: Toilet Project Keeping Girls in School in Coast Region
One of the toilets built by Zamara Foundation. (Photo / Courtesy)
By Mbungu Harrison
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Education stakeholders in the Coast region continue to champion for equal rights to education for the girl child, amid persistent barriers that hinder access to learning.
Girl-child education in coastal areas have long been affected by societal and community challenges, including teenage pregnancies and unsafe learning environments.
However, the Zamara Foundation, a non- governmental organization remains committed to ensuring that every girl learns in a safe and dignified space, free from barriers that limit her potential.
One of the latest initiatives aimed at improving access to education for girls is the launch of the Toilet Project at Ngombeni Primary School in Kwale county. This marks a major step toward promoting dignity, safety, and hygiene for girls in school.
For years, many girls in that region have faced silent struggles in their pursuit of education with some shifting to other institutions with clean facilities.
This is because beyond books and uniforms, the absence of safe, hygienic sanitation facilities has meant that many girls miss school during their menstrual cycles-some eventually dropping out altogether.
But a new initiative is changing that narrative
The project provides clean, safe, and private sanitation facilities, helping reduce absenteeism especially during menstruation-and creating a supportive environment for learning.
Teachers and community members welcomed the initiative, with Headteacher Mwinyi Makalo noting that the project responds to “a real and urgent need.”
“By addressing menstrual hygiene challenges, the Toilet Project not only restores comfort and confidence but also advances gender equality in education,” he said.
The Toilet Project, launched recently by the Zamara Foundation, is offering more than just a physical structure-it’s providing dignity, safety, and a chance for girls to stay in school.
“By addressing menstrual hygiene challenges, the Toilet Project not only restores comfort and confidence but also advances gender equality in education.”
The new facility, designed specifically with girls in mind, includes clean, private, and secure spaces where girls can manage their hygiene without fear or shame.
Teachers affirmed the project has already begun reducing absenteeism, especially among older pupils who are now seeing value for education.
During the launch, excitement filled the air as young Girls toured their new facility with pride, their faces lit with smiles a clear sign of what this change means for them.
“We often talk about big education reforms,” said a local community leader in attendance who did not want to be named.
The Zamara Foundation, known for championing girls’ rights in underserved communities, says this is just the beginning.
“Their mission is to create safe, inclusive learning environments where every girl can realize her full potential free from the barriers that have long held them back,” said Zamara foundation official Risper Kengere flanked by her colleague Nancy Barasa.
The school management also acknowledged the noble work Zamara foundation Executive Director Wambui Esther continues to do in the Kwale County.
“But sometimes, it’s simple things like a toilet that can have the most profound impact on a girl’s life,” added Barasa.
The official says in a region where cultural and economic challenges often cut a girl’s education short, this toilet block stands as a powerful symbol of change, of hope, and of a future where every girl has the right and the means to learn with dignity.
