By Ben T.C. Brooks
River Gee County – [March 24, 2025] – Report from River Gee County says the Taith Memorial Elementary and Junior High School is without safe drinking water.
Located in Putuken, Chedepo Administrative District, River Gee County, the government-run-institution has more than 300 students in its enrolment for this 2024/2025 academic year.
The situation, according to the the principal of the school is threatening students’ education during school hours.
“The handpump we have on campus got damaged since two years ago and is yet to be repaired,” said Blitee Saylee, principal of the Taith Memorial School. “Most of the students prefer going in the community to drink,” Saylee added.
Saylee said the situation is seriously undermining learning at the school as students use the situation and leave campus during school hours and go home to drink without returning to classes.
“Even though we asked all of the classes to put water in bucket and bring it to school for drinking and they are doing it, but [it] can not serve all of them, while infact, some students have refused to drink in the same cup on campus,” said Saylee in a recent interview with Rural Reporters News Network.
Saylee used the opportunity to call on humanitarians and school working groups to help repair their handpump so as to avoid the disruption of classes during school hours.
Also speaking, a 15-year-old female student of the school, Abigail Jah, expressed frustration about the situation. Abigail confirmed the lack of safe drinking water at their school that compels students to go to nearby communities in search of safe drinking water on school days.
In an interview with this network, the 15 years old said: “We can go in communities especially during recess period and ask people for water to drink because the school’s handpump spoiled and they don’t want to repair it.”
One of the parents, Adolphus Chea, with three children in the school said “Let the Ministry of Education repair the children’s [school] handpump so they can stop going in the community looking for water to drink during recess period.”
Chea, therefore threatened to take his children from the school if the situation is not addressed next school year.
In many parts of the world, especially in low-income regions, the lack of proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools pose sserious challenges to children’s health, education, and their well-being.
Without access to clean and safe drinking water, children are at a greater risk of encountering waterborne diseases, leading to higher absenteeism rates and hindering their academic performance.
Insufficient sanitation facilities often forces students, particularly girls, to miss school during menstruation due to inadequate privacy and hygiene options.
Additionally, the absence of adequate handwashing stations makes it difficult for children to practice good hygiene, further exacerbating health issues.
