UNDP Construct Sh500m Worth of Toilets

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, and the Head of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Amb. Celestine Mushy went on a mission to Moshi last week to visit various UNDP projects and conduct Global Goals outreach. The climax of the trip saw the UN and government delegates inaugurate toilet facilities for 10 Primary Schools in Moshi District.  This follows an initiative launched when the UN marked its 70th anniversary in 2015 (UN at 70) which saw a UN team visit Kilimanjaro region to support development activities, including on environmental conservation and hygiene.

UNDP Tanzania supported the Kilimanjaro Regional Administrative Secretariat with TSHS. 510,000,000 to build toilet facilities in 10 primary schools to ensure adequate and reliable sanitation infrastructure to support boys and girls as well as teachers. To date, 178 individual toilets holes have been built in 10 schools with 104 being for girls and 74 for boys.

“Lack of proper sanitation facilities is a major challenge for schools and this disproportionately affects girls the most. These schools, as well as the parents of the children, can now focus on ensuring a quality education for the children. Girls, in particular, will have fewer challenges in attending school. At the same time, hygiene has been greatly improved and this will ensure healthier students and families,” said Mr. Rodriguez.

Ambassador Celestine Mushy, commended UNDP for the toilets and other initiatives and called for more support to the neediest schools across the country to ensure the Global Goals related to environment, sanitation and clean water are achieved by 2030 adding that “Much as charity begins at home, sanitation and hygiene start with me and you.”

While in Moshi, the UN and government delegation also went to an area on the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro where they had planted 2,000 trees for the UN’s 70th anniversary in 2015. In addition to seeing how the trees were progressing, they also planted over 300 new trees in collaboration with the local residents. In Tanzania, UNDP has been a long-standing and trusted partner on national development efforts working in a number of key areas covering democratic governance, environment/climate change, pro-poor economic growth, aid coordination and now supporting the government to domesticate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).