BAJHANG, Sept 19: Girl students of a local school in Bajhang village faced hassles due to lack of toilet in the school. As the administration of Majkhori Higher Secondary School (MHSS) in Chhabis Pathibhara Rural Municipality- 6, Bajhang did nothing about it, the girls themselves took the initiative to build a toilet. And they say, they are proud of it.
“I had difficulties to attend the class during the first five days of menstruation. And many of the girls had dropped out of the school due to the lack of toilet,” said Manisha Dhami, a ninth grader, adding, "It's been a great relief after we built a toilet.”
A Dalit caste’s struggle for toilet
Earlier, almost 500 students including teachers had been using just a single toilet of the school. About 80 girl students above the sixth grade started digging ground, collecting water, woods and stones every Friday. They walked half an hour to collect the required materials.
As informed by Pashupani Bohara, a 10th grader of the same school, students realized the importance of toilet through a program organized by Dalit Cooperation Society for youths. "We are happy that we have made toilet for the girls,” she stated.
Sharing her 11 years of teaching experience at the same school, Shanti Bohara mentioned that all girls were facing hard times due to the lack of toilet. “After the toilet was built, we feel very much comfortable during our menstruation,” she affirmed.
According to Janak Bohara, principal of MHSS, construction of the toilet has created a conducive learning environment for girls. Also, the number of girls attending the school during menstruation has climbed up.
However, the concerned authorities failed to monitor the school once in a year due to difficult land topography and geographical structure of the village. "Though we have time and again complained to the District Education Office, nothing has been done for the infrastructural development," Bohara laments.
