12 families awarded for clean sanitation in Lapul

11 April 2025, 10:39 am

By Geoffrey Okwong

At least 12 families were awarded gifts for their efforts in achieving clean household sanitation in four villages in Alim parish, Lapul subcounty, yesterday.

The ceremony, held during the belated World Water Day celebrations in Alim parish, Lapul subcounty, saw members from three of the four selected villages—Oywello Mon, Obolo, and Lanyatido West—receive awards. However, Alim Central Village missed out.

The awards, which included liquid soap, bars of soap, and washing basins, were presented in recognition of the ongoing sanitation challenges in Lapul, which has been ranked among the highest in the district for open defecation.

Patrick Olanya, the Pader District Water Officer, explained that the World Water Day celebrations are not only about preserving clean water, but also about promoting household sanitation and personal hygiene.

He urged communities to safely dispose of faeces in latrines, practice personal hygiene, and safely manage rubbish, garbage, and wastewater at home. Olanya also emphasised the importance of safely collecting and properly storing water, and of covering pit latrines to prevent the spread of flies.

Through the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, Olanya commended the families for their progress and encouraged all villages to strive for 100% open defecation-free status.

Titus Okello Lutwa, LC1 Chairperson of Obolo village in Alim parish, thanked the residents for their responsiveness. He encouraged more families to embrace the district’s sanitation initiative for improved hygiene in their homes.

Statistics from the district water department show that open defecation in the district stands at 69%, with Lapul subcounty at 31%.

For the twelve selected town councils and sub-counties, the open defecation rates are as follows: Pader town council 64%, Ogom 46%, Acholibur 51%, Angagura 59%, Pajule 66%, Latanya 74%, Pader 46%, Awere 63%, Atanga 64%, Laguti 66%, Puranga 58% and Lapul at 41%.

Families were instructed to install basic sanitation facilities, including pit latrines, drying racks, bathrooms, and handwashing stations, among others.