Students welcomed us with a beautiful song in their local language, which included phrases like “It’s a good day today” and “We are happy to see you.”

The next generation of defeatDD advocates. Aren't they cute?

It was so special to see a performance from the students on whose behalf we work every day. We were moved!

The lessons on diarrhea prevention are set to dance, song, performance, and poetry. It gives students the opportunity to engage in one of their favorite activities: drumming.

We even heard some poo-etry! "Diarrhea, diarrhea, we will defeat you!"

Uh-oh. Someone didn't wash his hands! In this performance, through mimed movements to drums, students demonstrate the lessons they learned about diarrhea prevention.

Diarrhea as performance art: complete with sound effects! This student generated giggles from his peers.

This school latrine built by Africare is a treasure. It has eliminated open defecation and increased school attendance, with fewer students getting sick. Some of the students were so excited about what they learned about sanitation that they started digging latrines at home, to the surprise of their parents!

Bwacha, 7th grade, is a peer educator for hygiene and sanitation at Mukuyu Basic Middle School. He enjoys English and social studies and someday wants to be a lawyer. 

Maimbo, 6th grade, is a peer educator for hygiene and sanitation at Mukuyu Basic Middle School. She enjoys english, math, and helping her mom around the house.

Students participate in maintaining the water points and keeping latrines clean.

A student fills the hand-washing station.

Before the school latrines were built, the students had to travel far to relieve themselves--and most of the time, had to do so out in the open. They often skipped hand-washing to save time and rush back to class. Today, latrines and hand-washing stations are conveniently close to school, and students don't have to choose between personal hygiene and education. 

If only walls could talk. At Mukuyu and Nachipoma Schools, they do! These visual communication tools remind students and community members about important behaviors that will prevent diarrhea. 

Raise your hand if you're ready to defeat DD!

"Say you go home for lunch and you see a nice plate of Nshima..." their teacher prompts. But the savvy students are not fooled. They know that flies carry germs, that they should not eat uncovered food, and that they should always wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," begin the student instructors as they demonstrate their knowledge about how to prevent getting sick from diarrhea: separating wells and toilets, washing hands, and keeping your environment clean.

"When you empower pupils, you empower whole communities. When you change a child, you change a generation." - Alfred Mungamelo, Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Advisor for Africare.

"The WASH in schools premise is that you can produce healthy pupils who can share their experiences with their families back home. Pupils are still in a learning mindset and able to capture new practices quicker and share their knowledge. Also, schools are focal points in the communities. Based on interactions with the schools, we have learned that there are reduced incidences of diarrhea in their homes." - Isaac Sakala, Agriculture, Food and Environment, and WASH Manager for Africare.