Background & Rationale
Rotary Safari for WASH Fellowship
Uganda has demonstrated remarkable progress in providing access to basic education, particularly since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997. This landmark policy led to a significant surge in enrolment, from 2.5 million pupils in 1996 to 8.6 million by 2023. It marked a transformative moment in Uganda’s educational landscape, providing many children—especially those from rural and underserved communities—an opportunity to attend school.
This national effort resonates strongly with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 which promotes inclusive, equitable, and quality education, and SDG 4a, which emphasizes the creation of safe and inclusive learning environments for all by 2030.
Despite these positive strides, Uganda’s education system continues to grapple with deep-rooted challenges, primarily due to inadequate financing. The country allocates only 10.8% of its national budget to the education sector (as of the 2023/2024 fiscal year)—a figure significantly below both the East African regional average and the 20% benchmark agreed upon during the Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All (2000). This funding gap has left many public primary and secondary schools under-resourced, resulting in overcrowded classrooms, a lack of instructional materials, and crumbling infrastructure.
The WASH Crisis in Schools
One of the most glaring and persistent challenges in Uganda’s education system is the lack of adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, particularly in public primary schools. A joint monitoring report by WHO and UNICEF (2015–2023) revealed concerning statistics:
55% of schools had access to basic water services.
33% had limited water access, and 2% had no water provision at all.
75% had improved sanitation facilities, yet many still lacked gender-separated or inclusive facilities for children with disabilities.
Only 39% of schools had basic hygiene services with water and soap, while 45% had no hygiene services and 16% had limited services with water but no soap.
The Ministry of Education and Sports (Uganda) further confirms that only 35% of primary schools have access to clean drinking water, and over 70% lack basic sanitation facilities entirely. These poor WASH conditions contribute to:
High prevalence of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera.
Increased absenteeism, especially among girls during menstruation due to a lack of privacy or menstrual hygiene support.
Reduced learning outcomes due to poor health, discomfort, and missed school days.
These factors severely hinder Uganda’s ability to achieve universal primary and secondary education, as many children either drop out or struggle to complete the education cycle.
Rotary Club of Gayaza’s Response: The Safari for WASH Fellowship
In response to this urgent crisis, the Rotary Club of Gayaza has launched the Safari for WASH Fellowship, an innovative, ongoing initiative designed to:
Promote basic education and literacy.
Improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in public primary schools.
Prevent disease through improved hygiene practices.
This project creatively harnesses the passion for travel among Rotarians and friends of Rotary to support a worthy cause. It offers a dual benefit: allowing participants to “Explore, Experience, and Empower” through safaris across Uganda, while at the same time raising awareness and funds for WASH interventions in underprivileged schools.
Funds raised through these annual safari events will be used to:
Construct or rehabilitate sanitation facilities, including separate toilets for girls and boys.
Install water harvesting systems or boreholes to ensure reliable access to clean drinking water.
Set up handwashing stations with water and soap.
Deliver hygiene education to students, teachers, and surrounding communities.
By improving WASH conditions, the project directly supports a healthier, safer, and more inclusive learning environment, ultimately enhancing school attendance, academic performance, and retention rates—especially among vulnerable groups such as girls and children with disabilities.
Conclusion
The Safari for WASH Fellowship is not just another development project—it is a movement for change. It brings together Rotarians, travelers, donors, and communities with a shared vision: to ensure that every child in Uganda can learn in a school that is safe, clean, and dignified. With each safari taken, each donation made, and each school supported, we move closer to a future where access to education and basic WASH services is not a privilege, but a right for all Ugandan children.
Through service and adventure, the Rotary Club of Gayaza is writing a new chapter in Uganda’s journey toward sustainable development—one school, one community, and one safari at a time.
