Sanitation improvements for schools affected by Cyclone Chido

Last December Cyclone Chido caused widespread damage in Mozambique, destroying homes, roads and health facilities. In Cabo Delgado Province an estimated 272,000 people were affected.

Sanitation facilities in schools were severely impacted, leaving children with virtually no latrines or ones that were partially destroyed. A student from Sambene School said:

“When we went back to school after the cyclone, we were afraid of using the latrines, because they were destroyed and dirty. Sometimes I did not go to school because of this.

“Us girls were more affected, especially during our menstrual cycle. A solution was urgent, because some of my female classmates missed class and others abandoned school.” – Mimi Quinito (15)

In May 2025, MENTOR rehabilitated three school latrines and an inclusive latrine block in Mimi’s school as part of the WASH emergency taskforce under the SAIL 2 project funded by ECHO.

Mimi said after the work was completed: “Now, we have clean, safe latrines and I can go to school every day.”

MENTOR rehabilitated school latrines and a hand-pumped borehole in two schools of Chiure District, as part of our response to Cyclone Chido. The training of hygiene promoters in Mecufi and Chiure Districts also reached over 20,000 school children with health awareness activities.

Within the SAIL II (Safe and Inclusive Learning) project MENTOR is addressing identified gaps and complementing existing efforts in the emergency WASH programme. One of those gaps is sanitation in schools, where destroyed or broken latrines increases the risk of diarrhoea, cholera, and dengue fever.

Caption: One of the new handwashing stations donated under the project.