Haru Jila Primary School
Haru Jila Primary School—located in Sebeta Sub City, just 24km from Gfoundation’s Ethiopian branch—was once a school struggling with limited water access and deteriorating sanitation facilities. Home to 274 students (139 boys and 135 girls), it became the heart of a KOICA and Gfoundation-supported two-year WASH initiative.
Facility Improvements (Infrastructure)
To create lasting change, the first step was to rebuild the physical environment where students learn and grow.
- Handwashing Stations: Installed clean and accessible stations to reduce disease and promote hygiene.
- 10,000-Liter Water Tank: Connected to the stations to secure a stable water supply.
- Electric Water Pump & Generator: Replaced the outdated hand pump, ensuring reliable, less labor-intensive access.
- Renovated Toilets: Built new, gender-separated facilities to replace unsafe, dilapidated ones—enhancing sanitation, privacy, and dignity.
- Water Line Extensions: Expanded plumbing to distribute water more efficiently across the school campus.
- Upgrade to Electric System: Transitioned from manual to electric water pumping for easier and quicker access.
These upgrades gave Haru Jila students the safe and dignified learning environment they had long deserved.
People-Focused Activities (Education & Engagement)
Yet true transformation comes not only from buildings, but from the people who bring them to life.
- Teacher WASH Training: Selected teachers trained to integrate hygiene practices into the classroom.
- Student-Led WASH Club: A new club leading awareness campaigns, maintaining cleanliness, and inspiring peers as “agents of change.”
- School-Wide WASH Education: Every student received hygiene and sanitation training, extending healthy practices into their homes and communities.
- Creative Awareness Campaigns: Students engaged in art-based projects—posters, drawings, and performances—to make hygiene education fun and memorable.
By equipping teachers and empowering students, the project ensured that the lessons of health and dignity will continue far beyond the school walls.
Lasting Impact
Haru Jila Primary School is no longer defined by its challenges, but by resilience and progress. With improved facilities and empowered students and teachers, the school now stands as a model of how investing in health, education, and dignity can transform entire communities.
“When schools thrive, communities rise.”
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