COVID-19: VSF donates WASH facilities to 3 Jigawa schools

The Victims Support Fund (VSF) has donated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to three Secondary Schools in Jigawa, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The benefiting schools were; Government Unity Secondary School, Ringim, in Ringim Local Government Area (LGA); Government Day Science Secondary School Wuntai, Hadejia LGA and Government, and Girls Secondary School, Jahun, in Jahun LGA.

Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Chairperson, VSF Taskforce on COVID-19, made this known while handing over the facilities to the benefiting schools in Ringim, on Wednesday.

Akerele-Ogunsiji said the gesture was part of VSF’s contribution to ensure the containment of  the virus, among students and teachers in the schools, the state and Nigeria at large.

She said that each of the schools received a solar-powered borehole with 4,000 liter capacity overhead tank, four hand wash stations, 2,000 pieces of re-usable face masks, 25 liters of hand sanitizer, 120 bottles of 500ml liquid hand wash and five cartons of bleach.

The chairperson assured that VSF would continue to provide succor to vulnerable Nigerians, and institutional support to agencies involved in the fight against COVID-19.

“Following completion of the first and second phases of COVID-19 emergency intervention, VSF taskforce on COVID-19 has commenced, as part of the third phase of the intervention, the hand-over of WASH facilities to schools in Jigawa.

“The hand wash stations have been set up in each of the schools and the schools have been supplied with liquid hand wash, sanitizers and bleach.

“The VSF continues to provide succor to vulnerable Nigerians and institutional support to agencies involved in the fight against COVID-19,” the chairperson assured.

She said that the VSF, chaired by Gen. TY Danjuma (rtd), was set up in March 2020 as a rapid response initiative to providing support in food, Personnel Protection Equipment (PPE) and water facilities for indigent households and communities across the country.

“From March 2020 to date, the VSF has traveled across the six geographical zones donating PPE; we also support the Federal Ministry of Health to set up the COVID-19 secretariat, and the NCDC with data monitoring and gathering equipment,” she said.

Akerele-Ogunsiji further stated that in the final phase of the VSF intervention, 54 schools in 18 states, across the six geographical zones were expected to benefit from similar gesture.

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“It is, therefore, our hope that these facilities will be properly maintained, preserved and utilized maximally by students, teachers and neighbouring communities,” she said.

The Principals of the benefiting schools commended the VSF for the gesture, pledging judicious use of the facilities, while asking for additional provision of security lights, toilet facilities and furnitures.