The Kesho Fund - Boys' Bathroom for Mihama Secondary

Bathroom Construction Projects

Why School Bathrooms are Crucial for Effective Learning

Everyone uses the bathroom every day. But what if:

There are no sinks or soap available?
There's no toilet paper or bidet or washing water available?
There are hundreds of students trying to share just a couple of toilets during a short break between classes?
Massive overuse makes the few toilets available perpetually filthy, even when cleaned very frequently?

Students need to BE safe and FEEL safe at school if they're going to learn. Access to sanitary toilets and sinks is a foundational requirement to meet these needs. Students who do not have access to these facilities are more likely to miss class while waiting in lines for toilets, more likely to develop health issues from "holding it in" when there are no toilets available, and more likely to contract and spread bacterial and viral infections such as UTI from unclean toilets, lack of hygienic products, and lack of sinks for hand washing. As noted by WaterAid, GlobalCitizen.org, and The Guardian, lack of safe facilities puts girls and women in particular at risk for truancy, absenteeism, harassment, and abuse.

Project Details (Choose a School to View)

1) Girls' Bathroom at Ibungilo Sec. School (2019)

Project Details

This was our first bathroom construction process and a learning process for us. Since the students had no access to sinks and no clean room for changing and personal hygiene, these were a priority in our design.

Total Budget: $5,289
New Toilets: 7
New Sinks: 4
Students Impacted Immediately (2019): 570

2) Boys' Bathroom at Ibungilo Secondary School (2020)

Project Details

The execution of this project was seriously complicated by the onset of the Covi-19 pandemic, but we got it done! Deepest thanks to the dedicated fundis (construction workers) and volunteers who made it happen despite the challenges.
Total Budget: $5,673
New Toilets: 7 (+1 trough urinal)
New Sinks: 4
Students Impacted Immediately (2020): 513

3) Boys' Bathroom at Mihama Secondary School (2021)

Project Details

On our third bathroom project, we had benefitted from past experiences and were able to move much more quickly! We also reused our blueprints from the Ibungilo bathrooms, with some slight adjustments. Special thanks to our donors for helping this project come to life.

Total Budget: $6,223
New Toilets: 7 (+ 1 trough urinal)
New Sinks: 2
Students Impacted Immediately (2020): 259

4) Girls' Bathroom at Mihama Secondary School (under construction now!)

Project Details

Our next goal is to construct a new girls' bathroom at Mihama secondary as well. Check back soon for more updates and a new project video!

Total Budget: $6,488 (intended)
New Toilets: 7
New Sinks: 4
Students Impacted Immediately (2020): 270

How You Can Help

This project belongs to the Kesho Fund's School Infrastructure Program. You can support the Kesho Fund's School Infrastructure Program by using this PayPal-protected "Donate" button:

How will my money be used? [click here]

All donations will support our School Infrastructure Program directly, minus the international transfer fees we incur in sending this money to Tanzania. We do not presently need to use any of our project donations for other overhead costs (e.g. web hosting), though this may change in the future.

How much should I donate? [click here]

Our suggested donation for the School Infrastructure Program is $10-30 per month. Donating monthly helps us to make accurate plans for the future and maximize our impact.

Are there any other ways I can help? [click here]

Do you have a skill set or resource that you think could benefit this project, or are you interested in helping to organize a fundraiser? If so, please contact us at donations@keshofund.org to be put in touch with the project leader.

About the Project Leader

The Leader for this project is Petro Okoth, who also serves as Mwanza Projects Coordinator on our Board of Directors. [click here]

Petro Okoth is a Project Leader with the Kesho Fund as well as our Mwanza Projects Coordinator. He is also an English teacher at Luchelele Secondary School, the head of Luchelele Secondary's English Department, and the supervisor for his school's English club.

Petro received his BA from the St. Augustine University of Tanzania and spent 5 months at Kent State University through the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) in 2017.

Petro also coordinates programs for open learning at his school, such as adult literacy courses, and is well known in Mwanza for his work to support students inside and outside of the classroom.

Project Budget Details

Our School Infrastructure Program is currently accruing $30 per month from monthly subscriptions, all of which currently goes to school bathroom construction (updated Sept 1, 2021).

Given that our infrastructure projects make up the most expensive work that we do, they are particularly reliant upon fundraisers and larger one-time donations.