Bonamouagno School, Douala, Cameroon

While in Cameroon, we visited a school which a member of the Church, Romeo had attended.  His family had donated the land for the school many years ago.  The state pays the teachers and for some supplies, but the maintenance of the school is up to the local residents.  At some point, the school lost access to water.  Toilets and squat toilets deteriorated. Now the school is functioning and students are attending, but there are no toilet facilities, children use a space in the yard, access water through a hole in the wall and are at risk because in the school yard there is a pool of rainwater that collects, running directly from the area used as a "latrine."

 Behind the left building there is a hole in the wall, The children reach through the hole to access a water faucet on the other side, where they can wash hands or fill a water bottle.

 African children usually behave very well in class. This is a good school, they have a "desk" to write on.

 These are the squat toilets or latrines that the children are supposed to use.  There is no water connected to them and the doors don't open or close.

 This is the teacher's toilet room.  I wouldn't go in far enough to take a picture inside!

 The trash area by the latrines -- ugh.

 Two little girls "do their business" outside the latrines on a piece of cement.  This is six feet away from the standing water in the school yard.