The Sanitation and hygiene program has been running since 2003. The mothers/guardians of the children at the school are the ones who are involved in the sanitation and Hygiene program. The parents/guardians contribute to the day-today running of the school by doing cleanliness.
As we were doing the Sanitation and Hygiene, there was a lot of flying toilets around due to lack of toilets in community. This led to introduction of a bio-toilet.
The Biogas site is approximately 1 Km from the school. It was officially opened on 22 January 2010 and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and French Development Agency (AFD), Kenya Government and Athi Water Services Board through Umande Trust.
Stara Biogas provides bathroom, office and church services to nearby residences. The field at Stara Biogas is used to grow plants and vegetable (mostly sukuma wiki(kales), bananas and spinaches) so that the pupils at Stara School can be fed every Saturdays and during holidays.
Challenges facing Sanitation and Hygiene Program
- We lack tools such as wheelbarrows, rakes, spades, gloves, masks, gum boots, overalls, brooms, dustbins, mattocks, for performing the Sanitation and hygiene.
- We need water tanks for storing and harvesting rain water to avoid shortage of the same.
- We lack facilities for recycling the garbage.
- We lack good drainage system.
- We lack cylinders and balloon for packaging and storing the gas.
- We need training materials such as flip charts and stationery.
- We also need to renovate the solt pit – to help store the clean water from the biogas plant.