Malawi primary school children clean used condoms
Mponela 2 Primary School in Dowa District faces health and dignity crisis due to lack of security and sanitation.
Learners at Mponela 2 Primary School in Malawi's Dowa District are forced to clean up used condoms from their classrooms each morning before lessons begin. The school, serving over 3,000 students, has only two toilets and lacks a fence, exposing it to vandalism and creating a health hazard. Marium Mira, treasurer for the Parents Teacher Association, called the situation heartbreaking.
Deputy head teacher Dickson Muyaba stated that the absence of a fence leaves the school vulnerable to intruders and property damage, while the poor sanitation poses a risk of disease outbreaks. He appealed to the government for urgent assistance, specifically a fence to protect school property. Florence Ndovi from the Community Social Accountability Committee confirmed that the council has plans to provide two classroom blocks, a teacher's house, two toilets, and a fence.
Clinical psychologist Professor Chiwoza Bandawe warned that forcing children to clean up discarded condoms violates their dignity and can have serious psychological effects, including confusion, embarrassment, disgust, fear, or curiosity about sexual behaviour. He stressed that a classroom should be a safe and respected environment for learning.
Why it mattersOver 3,000 primary school children in Malawi are subjected to unsanitary and undignified conditions, including cleaning used condoms, due to inadequate school infrastructure and security.