Project Details

It was a joyful day at Khungulu Primary School in Chileka, Chuma Village. Students were smiling, dancing, and clapping hands as the Hygiene Village Project officially handed over the keys for three modern toilets and a changing room for girls to the school management.

For many adolescent girls, menstruation has been a barrier to education. Without access to sanitary products and safe facilities, some are forced to miss classes due to stigma and shame, while others drop out of school entirely. In rural areas, the problem is made worse by poor sanitation, lack of privacy, gender-based discrimination, and poverty.

With support from the Hilden Charitable Fund, the Hygiene Village Project responded to these challenges by constructing new, modern sanitation facilities. These toilets and the girls’ changing room provide a safe and private space for menstrual hygiene, helping to reduce absenteeism and enabling girls to continue their education with dignity. The project also promotes Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) practices so that girls remain healthy, clean, and confident in school.

Village Headman Chuma said “We are very happy for this new development. The three modern toilets and the changing room for girls will help many students stay clean and healthy. I will make sure the toilets are kept clean and well maintained to promote good hygiene and prevent diseases”.

Mrs. Mtepuwa, one of the teachers, explained, “The coming of these new toilets and the changing room will greatly help our students. When girls are given a changing room, they now have a safe place to change and to dispose of used pads properly, which will later be burnt in a safe way. This will improve hygiene at the school and give our girls more confidence to stay in class.

One of the girls, Thandiwe Akimu, a Standard 8 learner, said “Before, our toilets were dirty and unsafe, so we could not use them. Now we have clean, modern toilets and a changing room for girls. This helps us stay healthy and safe, and we don’t have to go home during our menstruation periods and miss classes. We thank the Hygiene Village Project and the Hilden Charitable Fund for making our school a cleaner and better place.”

Finally, Mr. Khonyongwa, one of the Directors for Hygiene Village Project, extended his appreciation to Hilden Charitable Fund for supporting this important work. The provision of modern toilets and a girls’ changing room at Khungulu Primary School is already making a big difference. We hope this partnership continues so that together we can extend similar hygiene projects to other schools in need.