About Nyamatete Primary School

Nyamatete is located 30 minutes outside the town of Muhanga in the Muhanga province of Rwanda. There is a school at Nyamatete but that school was in need of new toilets and clean water. The new toilets we built at the school serve not only the students at Nyamatete but also the teachers and the local community. The old toilets at Nyamatete were ‘long drops’ which meant that the waste could not be treated. This was unhygienic for the children and left the toilets and surrounding area with an unbearable smell. These new toilets are able to be treated with chemicals that help the waste to break down and is safe to use on land to fertilize crops. The new toilets are also equipped with handwashing facilities for hygiene and sanitation. The new water catchment provides water to the students, teachers and the village of Nyamatete. During the wet season, the catchment fills with water, which is stored, protected by a roof and used throughout the year. The water is used for washing and sanitation, watering gardens and for the toilet blocks at the school. Water from the catchment is also placed in jerrycans and treated so that it is safe for the students and village to drink. Annual access to abundant water for drinking and washing directly contributes to the students’ health and sanitation, which in turn contributes to the health of their families and community.