La Biosthetique Project

Clean Water project for schools in South Sudan

Only about half the population of South Sudan’s capital has access to safe, clean water leaving thousands of people vulnerable to outbreaks of dangerous waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and cholera.

After visiting a primary school in Juba and seeing first-hand the filthy water that children were drinking, Patrick Kilo Evans, 22, decided to do something about it.

Funded by the World Scout Foundation via the Messengers of Peace Support Fund, Patrick’s Water for Child project makes sure schools have clean water tanks, and that children and teachers understand the importance of hygiene. It now operates in five schools in Juba and has trained scores of Scouts to educate people about clean water. As a result, Evans says incidences of waterborne illness have dropped sharply. Watch the video here.

Patrick, who started in Scouting in 2002 before South Sudan got its independence, has been awarded the Messengers of Peace Heroes Award for 2018.

What has been the impact of the project?

We have so far realised a reduction of close to 55% in water-related diseases at these five schools. We have also provided clean water to churches and nearby communities, since the schools are built in church compounds. Many children now do not have to miss school due to waterborne diseases or to go out to look for water.

We have also trained 60 Scout hygiene promoters from the five different schools to advise pupils on how to use the water facilities, and clean the schools. They give daily lectures during assembly on water hygiene. As a result, about 600 young people have decided to become Scouts – and the number is growing.

The hygiene promoters also visit the different schools for talks and challenges around water and hygiene. This has helped to create good relations between these five schools – something that never existed before.

What do you plan to do next?

The five schools are not the only ones having water problems. Hundreds of schools in the country are facing the same challenge and so we would like to bring this project to as many of them as possible. We will begin by first doubling the number of schools from five to ten and hope that as time goes by we can reach more and more.

We also want to involve more young people as hygiene promoters and work with other partners to realise safe drinking water for everyone in South Sudan.

How can you help?

Convinced that Patrick and his team can do more for the future of thousands of young people in South Sudan? Why not donate to this project!

Please mention 'La Biosthetique 2019 Christmas Project'.

DONATE HERE!