University in fundraising drive to construct Shs32m toilets

Nkumba University Vice chancellor Prof Wilson Mande Muyinda auctions portraits during the fundraising campaign on March 22, 2019. 2019. Photo by Eve Muganga

What you need to know:

  • The Uganda Sanitation Fund (USF) is $10m (Shs37b), five-year programme funded by the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF).

ENTEBBE.

One of the top private universities in Uganda has embarked on a fundraising drive to construct Shs32 million toilets for the female students.

Ms Dorothy Nsereko, the Entebbe-based Nkumba University warden at Nabagereka girls’ hostel which is within the university premises said the drive is meant to raise the money to construct toilets and bathrooms as well as renovate the hostel, buy an incinerator for the girls’ wing.
According to her, some of the toilets are dilapidated because they are located near the road and without a fence which gives easy access to the community members who have been using them.

“The university gave us Shs12 million and today we managed to raise Shs8 million. Our goal for this campaign is to raise Shs32 million. We have taken years minus revamping our toilets, bathrooms, hostel and therefore, we need to raise this money in order to provide equal opportunity for visitors and students in order to create an environment that can be used by all people,” she said at an event to commemorate Women’s Day at the university on March 22, 2019 under the theme “Balance for Better”.

She said due to the bad state of toilets at Nabagereka hostel which is located near the road, some parents were forced to take their daughters to sleep outside the university in fear that they may get STDs because of the poor hygiene.
“We are also looking forward to buying an incinerator which will be used to burn garbage since the community had turned our hostel into a dumping site. We call upon all well-wishers to donate whatever they can afford to help us meet our goal,” she said.
Government recently unveiled plan to construct public toilets on highways.

Mr Enock Kusasira, the communication and learning specialist at Uganda Sanitation Fund Programme, last month told Daily Monitor that they had embarked on mindset change such that even when such facilities are in place, people use them.
“There are places with [sanitation] facilities, but still people do not use them. We are now sensitising people so that they know why they should not go to the bush,” he said.
The Uganda Sanitation Fund (USF) is $10m (Shs37b), five-year programme funded by the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF).