We are building two new school bathrooms in the village of Shabelle. Girls stay in school longer when they have a place to look after their physical needs at school, rather than having to go home.

We are asking that the community contribute to the project as well, so that it is not just a foreign aid project that they are not connected to. The school council and community have agreed to provide water to the bathroom and to keep it clean. This will be done by having each family contribute a small amount of money each month.

Building bathrooms at schools is something that local leaders have been asking for. It allows children to focus on their education with fewer distractions. It also fits with our mandate to ensure that our support is balanced and not favoring boys. Our goal is to support growth that allows everyone to thrive.

We took local conditions into account, as the bathrooms are raised a little, to make them more resilient when the area floods, as has happened recently.

The bathrooms are pictured below, mid-construction. We hope to have them ready to be used in the next couple of weeks.