Reclaiming students’ dignity

MOKHOTLONG – FOR 20 years, pupils at Mojakisane Primary School, up in the mountains of Mokhotlong, have never known the inside of a toilet. All they have had was the “open bush” to relieve themselves. And so when nature called, they would rush outside, find some “secret” place and relieve themselves.
It was the ultimate assault on their human dignity.

But thanks to Lets’eng Diamond, that humiliating ordeal is now over after the mine built some ventilated pit latrines for the pupils.
The toilets might not be the state-of-the-art ablution facilities with running water but they represent a monumental improvement in hygienic standards for both pupils and teachers at Mojakisane Primary School.

The school’s principal, ‘Mamohato Ts’ita, said for 20 years they have had to endure the embarrassment of having to use the bush to relieve themselves, with all the attendant risks such a practice brought.

Top among such threats was the risk of contracting diseases.
Yet their wish was to have proper toilets like other schools to improve hygiene and cleanliness.
She said while the Ministry of Education was aware of their plight for years, it was Lets’eng Diamond, like the Biblical “Good Samaritan’, which swung into action and dealt with their plight.
Ts’ita said the fact that pupils and teachers would “defecate” everywhere posed a serious health hazard to society.
That was because the school and the community also used a spring which was close by. She said there was a real possibility that the water source would be contaminated by fecal matter.
She said she was happy because this real threat had now been eliminated.

Lylian Malefe, an Education Officer in Mokhotlong district, recalled an incident where she was excoriated by teachers after she officially handed over a kitchen to the school.
She said the teachers were not amused by the kitchen because it was the least of their concerns at the time. Malefe said all that the teachers wanted were toilets.
It was a touching yet sobering moment for Malefe.

She said after that “wake-up” confrontation with teachers at the school, she then approached Letseng Diamonds to assist.
She said the toilets will assist girls when they have to change their sanitary towels during their menstrual periods.
Malefe urged the teachers to train the children to enhance cleanliness.

The school has a total enrolment of 281 students. Each grade has one class.
Ts’epo Hlojeng, Letseng Diamond Corporate Social Responsibility Investment Administrator, said they are happy to assist the school as part of their programme to give back to society.
Hlojeng said Letseng Diamond is determined to leave some footprints in Mokhotlong before it moves to other districts.

Tokase Mphutlane