An all women’s club set up toilets for children at a primary school in a village in South 24-Parganas district because the existing ones were ‘dilapidated and unworthy of use’.
The toilets and wash basins have been set up at Sadhukhardari Free Primary School that has about 100 students up to Class IV, who have again started coming to school after two years of the pandemic.
The old toilets were in a ramshackle state and fell into further disuse in the last two years, a teacher said.
“We had been conducting eye camps and other projects in the school and noticed that they were in need of proper toilets. We decided to build it for them and also instead hand wash stations,” said Apala Dutta, who was the president of Rotary Club of Calcutta Avyanna till last month.
The inauguration was done last week.
Dutta said that the project is part of the water, sanitation and hygiene project of the club.
“It is not enough to set up wash basins. We also need to educate kids about hygiene and the importance of washing hands,” said Dutta.
Most of the children are from underprivileged families whose parents work as daily wage labourers.
Dutta, also principal of a private school in the city, said that for a school to function properly it is imperative to provide certain basic infrastructure facilities to the kids.
The old toilets were brought down and the new ones were set up, the foundation stone of which was laid in the end of March this year.
Dutta said the idea is to reach out to schools and areas which need the help the most and to make their living conditions better and more hygienic.
“The toilets and wash basins were much needed because the previous ones were unworthy of use but still children would manage somehow,” said Manik Ray, the teacher-in-charge.