With the handover ceremony for the Wash Project fast approaching, we conducted a training focused on raising awareness of disabilities and maintaining the toilets to ensure that they’ll be well kept and last for years to come. The training was led by Faruk, the executive director of Ability Sports Africa, and Jennifer, a GDPU board member. There were about 35 people in attendance, including parents, PTA members, and teachers.

The training began at 10 A.M., and went until 5 in the evening, with a delicious lunch of goat’s meat, cabbage, posho, rice, and beans, being provided by GDPU. While the training was quite heavy in content, the participants thoroughly enjoyed with the feedback from those in attendance being incredibly positive. After the meeting, the head teacher Joyce approached me and informed me that she was very impressed by Faruk and Jennifer, and that she learned a lot, prompting her to do everything in her power to ensure the toilets are well-kept and maintained.

The training incorporated lots of group activities, having group member’s work together to form ideas and solutions, rather than work alone.

With the toilets nearing completion and the students eagerly awaiting to use them, it is vital that the information that was conveyed to parents, PTA, and teachers will be conveyed to the students. This is to ensure that the students will maintain the toilets by cleaning them on a daily basis and not disposing of stones into the pit so that they will last for many years to come. I hope that when I return to Awach P7 in the near future, that I will see the toilets being cleaned and cared for, and looking like they did during the handover ceremony.