Rotary Club Dimapur installed two separate hand wash stations for boys and girls and a toilet block for girls at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Half Nagarjan on Thursday as part of its WinS (Wash in Schools) campaign aimed at upgrading or repairing sanitation facilities in schools across India.
The hand wash can accommodate six students at a time, and the toilet block has two wash basins and two toilets. Rotary Club also pledged to provide hand wash liquids, soaps and floor cleaning detergent for a period of 9 months to a year.
In her address as the chief guest, District Education Officer (DEO), Amongla Jamir, disclosed that many schools had written to the Education department for provision of toilet and drinking water facilities but the government had been unsuccessful and clubs such as the Rotary club had come to their aid.
Amongla Jamir further advised the school students to maintain the facilities provided by Rotary Club as their own. Also, urging those present to imbibe in themselves greater civic sense, she said, “Nagas know how to take care of their personal belongings but fail to take care of common or public property.”
The District Education Officer thanked Rotary Club for its yeoman services for various social causes and also revealed that a company from Guwahati had also approached the district Education department to provide basic amenities to five schools in the district and the schools have been identified.
Chairman of the project at Government Higher Secondary School, Rabinderjit S Panesar, who also spoke on the occasion, added that the project was governed and monitored by the Rotary Club HQ in Chicago, USA.
Rabinderjit S. Panesar revealed that 1.45 million schools in India face challenges when it comes to good quality hygiene, adding that 335 million girls in primary and secondary schools globally are unable to wash their hands after changing their sanitary pads.
Panesar said the separate toilet for girls was to ensure their privacy and dignity, while the two separate wash stations for boys and girls aimed for overall health of students.
President of Dimapur Rotary Club, Dr. Nitin Agarwal, who also spoke on the occasion, informed those present that Rotary had completed ten such projects in recent years and the club will now embark on literacy and improving infrastructure in government schools programs.
WinS co-ordinator and PDG Chandu Agarwala stated that Rotary India’s ‘Wash in Schools’ is a pan India campaign in support of the national campaign, “Swatch Bharat Swatch Vidyalaya” launched by the HRD Ministry.
Principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Half Nagarjan, A. Mughali Sema also said a brief vote of thanks.
The other highlights of the program included; invocation by Keresie-u Nehu Kera, and welcome and felicitation of dignitaries by Rotary club president, Nitin Agarwal.
The program was chaired by Lephizo Apon and it was attended by members of Rotary Club, school staff and students.