Florinda António Chirengane, a 59-year-old resident of the Luís Cabral neighbourhood, has been a dedicated staff member at Unidade 18 Primary School for 25 years. Her role has been far from glamorous, but her commitment to creating a clean and safe learning environment for the school’s 2,085 students has been unwavering.
“When I started working here in 1994, the school was a different place. We had seven conventional classrooms and three made of reed. The secretary’s office was in one of these classrooms, and the toilet facilities were near the road, with only two toilets—one for boys and one for girls,” Chirengane recounted.
Located in the Aeroporto B Bairro, in the Nlamankulo Municipal District of Maputo Municipality, Unidade 18 Primary School employs 44 teachers and 14 support staff. It ensures inclusive education for its 2,085 students, including six with disabilities.
Over the years, the school faced numerous challenges. The misuse of toilets by outsiders led to their relocation in 2009. However, hygiene issues persisted as students struggled to use the facilities correctly. For night students, the situation was even more dangerous.
“When I applied for this job, I thought it would be easy, but the reality was harsh. The school wasn’t fenced, and the toilets, used by everyone passing by, were always filthy and posed a public health risk. The toilets were far from the classrooms, there was no lighting, and wrongdoers would hide inside to smoke and rob students. I even thought of quitting in the first week, but my sister-in-law encouraged me to stay because I had no other source of income to support my children.” Chirengane recalled.
A turning point came in 2018 with the implementation of a WSUP Mozambique school WASH project.
“The project rehabilitated the students’ and teachers’ toilets, built a new block for night students, and set up a water reservoir to address the water supply issues. They also installed hand wash basins and drinking fountains. Now, with these new bathrooms, I have no words. It took time, but it came. I’m enjoying working in these conditions; it makes cleaning easier, and there’s no risk of diseases for the children.” Chirengane said with pride.
The transformation has brought significant benefits to the school, which has seen increased student enrolment. The school also benefits from public health ambassadors who teach children how to use the toilets properly and practice good hygiene.
“The new toilets have helped improve our children’s hygiene and reduce dropout rates, especially among girls who previously struggled with poor toilet conditions. Now, girls even have a compartment for menstrual management. The school has become a very nice place. The toilets don’t smell bad; they are clean, safe, and inclusive,” Chirengane explained.
WSUP rehabilitated two sanitary blocks, one for boys and the other for girls and built separate new sanitary blocks with compartments for girls and boys, including a compartment for the disabled and another compartment for menstrual hygiene management; also placed menstrual management boxes to store sanitary pads, carried out training on hygiene promotion for students in the school sanitation nucleus, WASH assistants, training in sexual reproductive health for teachers and trained activists to promote hygiene at school.
“I am proud to work here as a cleaning assistant because I contribute to improved health and school hygiene. People say we have luxury toilets, and I say this luxury is for the sake of our children,” Chirengane concluded.