Sixteen-year-old Kyasimire Evaleen, a student at Ruhama Secondary School, was excited to be among the female students benefiting from an improved latrine and water tank near the school's dormitories.
In her own words:
"After classes we would climb the Ruhaama hill to collect water for bathing and kitchen use. We traveled three kilometers from school and would miss extracurricular activities like games and other sporting activities."
"Due to overcrowding and fighting at the water points, we would ask boys to fetch the water then carry to the school. Fetching water at night exposed us to motor cyclist (boda-boda) in the village who would entice girls to ride on their bikes and sexually abuse them for small gifts. This put us at risk of getting infected with STIs and HIV. Some of our friends went into early marriages with these motorcyclists.
"We also had problems using the latrine at night because it is located far from the dormitory."
"I am so excited to see the new developments in our school. The time I used to spend looking for water will be used for my studies. I hope to improve my grades."
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