A look into SA school toilets and how to improve them. Picture: Supplied
On Tuesday, November 19, the world comes together to mark World Toilet Day - an annual event that highlights the importance of sanitation and the global efforts to tackle what the United Nations calls “the global sanitation crisis.”
This day serves as a reminder that access to clean and safe toilets is a basic human right, yet millions around the world, including here in South Africa, still lack these essential facilities.
In South Africa, the situation is dire. According to the 2021 School Toilet Report by Domestos, as many as 9 out of 10 children are affected by unsanitary school toilets.
This isn't just a minor inconvenience, it’s a crisis that impacts both their physical health and mental well-being. The report links poor sanitation facilities to increased anxiety, illness, and even higher levels of absenteeism.
For parents, this is a constant source of worry. Sending their children to school should be a step toward a brighter future, not a daily risk to their health and safety.
However, with unreliable toilets and unhygienic conditions, that’s the reality for too many South African families.
This year, in support of the UN’s mission to achieve “sanitation for all” by 2030, Baby Soft partnered with Domestos and the Department of Basic Education to make a real difference where it’s needed most.
Together, they audited the sanitation facilities in several schools across the Eastern Cape and provided the much-needed resources to improve them.
This partnership isn’t new. Since 2018, Baby Soft has been working to transform the lives of children in rural Limpopo through their Together campaign. This initiative has focused on building toilets, providing clean water and installing hand-washing facilities in 15 schools.
Over the past six years, they have built 212 toilets in Limpopo alone, giving thousands of children cleaner, safer learning environments.
Siyolise Shinga, Brand Manager at Baby Soft, explains their ongoing commitment: “ Now, we are focusing on sustaining those efforts through the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of these facilities in parts of the country that are most affected, such as the Eastern Cape where the initiative kicked off this year.”
Under the theme “Unstoppable Together”, both organisations have continued their mission in the Eastern Cape through a two-phase campaign.
The first phase involved auditing the hygiene conditions of selected schools and recording the baseline results. Once the problem areas were identified, the second phase kicked in; this is where real change started to happen.
Over the last two months, they have provided cleaning supplies and toilet paper to 300 schools, ensuring that these facilities stay clean and functional. But they didn’t stop there.
They also focused on upskilling school cleaning staff, providing them with the training and materials necessary to maintain these toilets properly.
Shinga emphasises the importance of this ongoing support: “World Toilet Day is an opportunity to highlight the need for continued support to upskill cleaners and curb the negative impact of poor sanitation on students’ well-being, as well as their academic performance due to absenteeism.”
Efforts like these aren’t just about building toilets, they’re about restoring dignity and self-worth to the children who use them.
A clean, safe toilet at school can mean the difference between a child attending class or staying home due to illness or shame. It gives them a sense of comfort and pride, which builds their confidence and keeps them focused on their studies.
This sentiment is shared by Ntsikelelo Ntwanambi, Chief Education Specialist at Infrastructure Planning for the Eastern Cape Department of Education, who said, “Partnerships and drives like the Unstoppable Together campaign play a crucial role in supporting the Department of Education in delivering on imperatives such as creating safer, happier and more supportive schooling environments.
“The impact of this campaign will be far-reaching and overwhelmingly positive, affording children with these facilities will go a long way in providing them with a sense of dignity, self-esteem and self-worth.
“Let’s continue to show up for the children of this nation and make these kinds of investments into a brighter future for all.”