In a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and UNICEF, a two-day training session was held at the Leilema Guesthouse in Pujehun town from the 22nd to 23rd of February 2024.

The training aimed to strengthen the knowledge and practices of teachers, school inspectors, school feeding monitors, and education stakeholders on water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools.

Patrick Raymond Musa, the Head of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Unit at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, emphasized the importance of working together to enhance safety, access, and availability of water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools. The training focused on various aspects, including hygiene sanitation, open defecation in schools, solid waste management, food hygiene, personal hygiene, water resource management, and menstrual hygiene management for girls.

Participants discussed strategies to protect school pumps, improve the relationship between schools and communities in managing water sources, and address challenges related to school toilets. The training highlighted the low access to water (37.6%) and sanitation (11.7%) in schools in Pujehun district, prompting a call for urgent action to improve these critical facilities.

Councillor Mohamed Saffa Puma, Health Committee Chairman of the Pujehun District Council, expressed gratitude to UNICEF and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education for the valuable training. He pledged to utilize the knowledge gained to support education stakeholders in the district and ensure the implementation of best practices in schools.