Hygiene situation in Matungu

Matungu locations have both cumulative populations of 57,031 people. Most of the community members in the two locations have poor access to safe water and improved sanitation. This has been attributed to the prevailing situation of rural poverty. The poverty situation for the both locations is in the range of 20-30 % bracket. Apparently the two locations have never been served by previous water and sanitation programmes therefore almost all the existing water points have not been protected. Most community members fetch water from the unprotected springs and streams which are unsafe for consumption. Learning institutions have also not been spared by the problem. Most schools have no access to safe water and this has had an implication to girl-child education since the are in most cases dispatched to fetch water from unprotected springs and streams. Most of the homes do not have access to good sanitation facilities due to poverty. The condition of most latrines in the villages is quite wanting. In some homes the have no access to any form of sanitation facility and homestead members resort to open defecation thus contaminating and polluting the environment. Schools have also not been spared from the problem since they have poor sanitation facilities with most children resorting to use the bushes or sugar cane plantations. The situation in schools has become worse due to the free primary education program which has led to extreme overstretch of existing facilities. There is therefore need to improve the situation through appropriate interventions.