By Elizabeth Uwandu

Teachers and pupils of Teslim Elias Model Primary School, Isale Eko, Lagos would no longer squat to piss or poop on the dilapidated pit toilet, as Rotary Club of Lagos Island, RCLI District 9110 recently splashed over N2.5 billion naira to renovate the toilet facilities there.

At the commissioning last weekend, Vipul Agarwal, President RCLI said the club which has education as one of its key priorities decided to adopt the school and Union Baptist Secondary School attended mostly by children from an underprivileged background to maintain infrastructures there.

While thanking Lagos Island LGA, Agarwal stated that “Good investment is needed to maintain infrastructure in public schools. We, therefore, aim at giving the children from poor background have a big improvement in health and sanitation.

“As this first project, RCLI has fully rehabilitated the toilet block for boys, girls, and teachers giving it a new look and functionality. All sanitary fittings, plumbing, tiling, doors, windows, roofs, ceilings, electricity, water borehole, and soak-away pit and septic tank have been fully been repaired. For the first time in many years, children have access to proper toilets with flowing water.” he said.

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Expressing delight on the new shape of the toilet and the efforts of RCLI, Vice Chairman, Lagos Island Local Government, Wadood  Bashorun, said, “We feel elated as the Club has done a very good job for us in renovating in alleviating the sufferings of the pupils.

When asked what the LGA did to address the issue, the VC who doubled as the education supervisor has this to say. “Before now, the toilet was in very bad shape. However, on assumption of office last year, during a tour to the primary schools in the area, we itemized the problems of each primary school. And that was how we knew about the dilapidated shape of the toilet. So, when they came and said they needed to carry out a project, we gave them this one.” He explained.

pupils will no longer see WC as a plate – School manager

Mrs. Nkemakola Okere, the Manager of Teslim Elias Model Primary School. The gesture of the Rotarians have made the children of the poor breathe a sense of relieve.

According to her,” When the Rotary Club came and demanded what I needed most to be done among the challenges facing the school, I told them that the toilet was in bad shape. This is as the septic tank was broken and toilet excreta kept gushing out of the soak-away. And within a month they have completed it.

“Now, the children of the poor, mostly those leaving under the bridge will now know how to use the toilet and. They will now know that WC is not a plate.

“We are having for the Rotarians for providing us with 10 cubicles and two for the teachers .” she beamed.