Lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities inside schools affect children’s education—and worse, even claiming their lives (UN, 2010). Improving water and sanitation is crucial in children’s development.
Burdened by the desire to provide clean and safe drinking water for their students, Teacher Sheryll Rodriguez, 36, broke in tears as she was so thankful for the newly constructed well inside their school. Operation Blessing donated the well to Villa Aurora National High School to provide water to the school and the surrounding communities.
Finally! Students and parents from Villa Aurora National High School would not only access free education but free access to water as well.
Water for Drinking
In Barangay Dimani, Aurora, the community gets their water from two sources: Ilog Dimani, two-kilometer away from the village and in which the community people would spend on the motorcycle gasoline. The other source is through the pipes that carry water from the mountain spring. The water is only available every first two hours in the morning.
The school nurse reported that there were Grade 7 students who already complain from stomach pain and needed to go home. Knowing that the water is not safe for drinking, the school requires students to bring their own drinking water bottles. However, due to the lack of clean water source, the students are forced to drink from the unsafe water that goes through the pipes.
After school, students from Villa Aurora National High School draw water from pipes connected to mountain springs—this water is not safe for drinking.
The school nurse, Ms. April, is alarmed whenever she sees students drinking from the pipes. “Sometimes they drink from the water pipes even though we don’t allow it. They would tell us that they are used to it but ended up having diarrhea.”
TRIUMPH–Teachers and students celebrate after the Operation Blessing well has been turned over to them.
The school is very grateful for the well that was constructed inside their school. There is already an adequate and clean water supply and diarrhea due to unclean water is not a health problem anymore. As Teacher Sheryl puts it, this is a story of tragedy to triumph.
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Reference:
United Nations (2010). Lack of clean water and impacts children’s learning and health, UN warns. Retrieved September 3, 2018, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2010/04/334412-lack-clean-water-impacts-childrens-learning-and-health-unicef-warns.
