More than 3,500 learners in Abim District are set to benefit from improved access to water, sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities following the commissioning of new infrastructure at two primary schools.
The facilities, comprising girls’ changing rooms, water points and a five-stance washroom, have been established at Kanu and Arembwola primary schools, with 3,519 learners expected to benefit.
The intervention is part of the Absa KH3 7 Hills Run, implemented in partnership with World Vision Uganda, to address barriers that affect girls’ participation and retention in school.
The partners also provided life-skills training to 2,650 learners from Kanu, Arembwola, Oryeotyene, Aninata, Otalabar and Amita primary schools.
The intervention comes against a backdrop of limited access to sanitation in Karamoja. According to the 2025/26 Uganda WASH Sector Budget Brief, 60.2 per cent of households in the region lack access to a sanitation facility, the highest proportion in the country, compared with a national average of 6.7 per cent.
For girls, poor access to water and sanitation can affect school attendance and participation, particularly during menstruation when the absence of private and appropriate facilities can force some learners to miss classes.
A five-year WASH in Schools initiative covering 100 schools in Karamoja recorded a 38 per cent increase in girls’ enrolment alongside improvements in access to safe water and sanitation.
Speaking during the commissioning, Absa Bank Uganda managing director David Wandera said addressing practical challenges was essential to keeping girls in school.
“Keeping a girl in school sometimes means addressing practical challenges that are easy to overlook. It may be the distance she travels to school, access to scholastic materials, disability, or something as basic as having water and appropriate sanitation at school,” Wandera said.
“Through the 7 Hills Run, we are working with partners to address these barriers in ways that respond to the needs of different communities,” he added.
Since its inception, the 7 Hills Run has supported interventions across Uganda, including school fees and scholastic materials, bicycles for girls travelling long distances, assistive devices for girls with disabilities, support for young mothers returning to education, menstrual hygiene and vocational skills.
The programme has also supported water and sanitation facilities in schools.
The latest intervention builds on work undertaken in Abim in 2024, when the partners commissioned a borehole and changing-room facility at Awach Primary School, benefiting more than 5,700 people, including nearly 900 girls.
World Vision Uganda country director Jeremiah Nyagah said access to water and sanitation could significantly improve children’s experience at school.
“Access to safe water and sanitation can make a significant difference to a child’s experience at school. For girls, it also provides the privacy and dignity needed to manage menstrual hygiene without losing valuable learning time,” Nyagah said.
“Through our partnership with Absa, we are working with schools, families and local leaders to ensure these solutions respond to community needs and are sustained over time,” he added.
At Abim-Kanu Primary School, head teacher Omara Gideon said inadequate water and sanitation facilities had previously created challenges for learners, particularly girls.
“Before this intervention, limited access to water and adequate sanitation facilities presented daily challenges for our learners, especially girls. Many lacked a private and dignified space to manage their menstrual hygiene while at school,” Omara said.
He said the new facilities were expected to improve attendance, participation and the overall learning environment.
“We expect to see improved attendance, particularly among girls, greater participation in class, and a more positive learning experience for all learners,” he said.
Wandera said the initiative would continue to focus on measurable improvements in girls’ education.
“For us, the measure of the Run’s success is the impact that follows it: more girls able to attend school, remain in education and have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions,” he said.
