Women in the country have been urged to play a leading role on issues of hygiene and sanitation by educating children to properly use toilet facilities at an early stage.
Plan International Malawi Country Director, Lilly Omondi, made the call last week in Nkhotakota when Traditional Authority (T/A) Mphonde received a certificate after attaining an Open Defecation Free status.
“It is very important for women to play a key role in sanitation issues. Children need to understand issues of sanitation and the need to use toilets and wash hands afterwards and, when they grow up, they cannot abandon these values. Women are the ones who stay with children and can easily teach the young ones,” Omondi said.
Omondi also said she was happy that the project is making headway in its campaign of urging communities to have toilets.
“Our target is to reach out to 33 TAs in six districts, of which 18 have already been declared open defecation free. We urge community members to take up our call by ensuring an open defecation free environment,” Omondi said.
Speaking at the function, Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume, who was guest of honour, said he was impressed that interventions by the government and other stakeholders in promoting issues of hygiene and sanitation are bearing fruit as evidenced by this year’s free cholera season.
“Previously, during rain seasons, we have been registering cholera cases but I am pleased that, as of today, we have not had any cholera cases. This has been achieved with the help of interventions by the government and other stakeholders like Plan Malawi, which is involved in the campaign of making sure that each household has a toilet,” Kumpalume said.
The minister commended communities in T/A Mphonde’s area for appreciating the significance of having a toilet.
“When the whole community says, ‘we are now going to be using toilets’, it means congestion in surrounding hospitals will be reduced and some of these diseases will be a thing of the past. I am now aiming at ensuring that the whole country has toilet facilities,” Kumpalume said.
In his remarks, T/A Mphonde said his community has established by-laws to punish any household that does not have a toilet facility.
The event was organised by Plan International Malawi which is managing the sanitation project. Soldiev is implementing the project with support from Global Sanitation Fund.
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