Increasing pressure on existing infrastructure at the Senior High School (SHS) level has left more than 1,600 students of the Bimbilla Senior High School in the Northern Region sharing a single toilet facility.
Two hundred and fifty girls tested positive for candidiasis out of 620 recently screened by rights campaign group, ActionAid. The students say the unsanitary conditions in the school are to blame.
Eighteen-year-old Nashiru Safiatu (not her real name) is the Girls’ Prefect for the school. She also tested positive for the candidiasis – a vaginal infection which may cause genital itching, burning, and sometimes a white cheese-like fluid discharge from the vagina.
Extreme versions of it may even have implications for childbirth in the long term.
“Many of the girls are living with infections. Even me, I know I have white [candidiasis],” she said.
Many of the students, now scared of the consequences of going into the overstretched toilet facility, walk for up to 15 minutes to a bush outside the school to defecate in the open.
The students call the practice, which has now become a part of their daily routine, ‘Long Walk’.
“We call it Long Walk because you have to walk for a long distance before you get there,” said Suriya Atta, a 17-year-old student who was spotted returning from her ‘Long Walk’.
School authorities are afraid the situation may worsen with the next intake of fresh students in September.
“The toilet has just eight holes for boy and girls. Because of the pressure that is why the children resort to free range…We are hoping that we can get help either for NGOs or from the government,” said Vincent Esoah, the school’s Assistant Headmaster.
Established in 1981, the school, the only public Senior High School in the Nanumba North Municipality is yet to see any major investment in infrastructure apart from the few financed by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
The school’s population currently stands at 1,614.
Congestion and its resultant spread of infection is a widespread problem for many Senior High Schools in the Northern Region according to ActionAid which has been working to gather evidence to effect change.
“This is a widespread problem, especially in this region. We have done some work in schools like Yendi SHS, Zagzugu SHS, Chereponi SHS, Vittin SHS, Tamale Islamic SHS, Savelugu SHS among others and have received similar reports. It’s all because of open defecation,” Esther Boateng, Northern Regional Programs Manager for ActionAid, said.
Infrastructure deficit is one of the key challenges that have bedevilled education Ghana forcing the government to consider adoption of a sandwich school system to control the numbers.
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Source: Joy News - VIDEO
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Where are the citizens of Bimbilla to give back to the community. Those who had free education and today they are riding on the backs of the people of Ghana. Come on do something good for your town.
These are the consequences of the corrupt political establishment of governments, right from JJ to Nana Addo!
Did I read they have 2 fork in the school? so fork too the government has to buy?what is the use of the parents and dies this guy bring all these not ashamed of himself, his mps are living luxurious lifestyles in Accra and talking loudly making noise everywhere when their people are suffering. Tell your mps to go home and help their people for it is disgusting for them to be talking loudly down south for them to see they are talking when the constituents are suffering. They should help their people small since it is through them that some are living in Accra. Raz Mubarak and Adongo are bluffing in Accra when their constituents children use mud buildings as classrooms and some study under trees and such people want to talk for us to hear them apuuuuuuuuuuuu! put your house in good order before you come out to speak. Kennedy Agyepong has done a lot for his people so you too help your people not everything that the government has to do.Dr Kwame Despite could build a ultramodern police station for his hometown, he has built children's ward for 37 military hospital and a lot more but not talking, but you people are everywhere talking with no work done to help your own people tweeeeeeeeaaaaaa ! and John mahama wants to come back for what? disgraceful people in the ndc.
so what if trump insults us that we are a shiitttt country
mahama karbo bawumia over to you
whaaaat?