Zeke

Zeke is a 16-year-old student at Bahir Dar Mesenado Preparatory School in grade 10. He is the only child in his family, and his parents work as a merchant and a military servicemember.

“I like reading books and watching movies in my free time. In addition, I like volunteering at events," said Zeke. “I love math and want to be a civil engineer when I grow up.”

Zeke described the water condition at the school before Splash: “There was only one station, and the area was muddy, which made it difficult to use. So many students wanted to use this single water station during break time. On top of this, water was not always available on most school days.”

Now, thanks to Splash and partners, the school is equipped with enough handwashing and drinking stations to meet the needs of its 3,521 students.

“When Splash started working in our school,” Zeke said, “I joined the hygiene club.” Splash’s hygiene clubs are designed with a tailored curriculum that encourages kids to become champions for good health for themselves and their communities.

“The training provided by Splash has directly benefited my day-to-day life,” Zeke shared. “We learned that behaviors like eating raw fruits without washing them and without washing our hands properly can lead to getting sick easily. I also now understand that the fly that we consider so little greatly affects our health. I was surprised how flies distribute germs from toilets or dirt onto our food. I had no knowledge that flies carry dirt and germs on their legs and contaminate our food. After the training, I started teaching my friends about healthy hygienic behavior.”

Zeke’s enthusiasm is evident in his voice; he enjoys being in the hygiene club. He continued, “I have received the knowledge from the trainings to guide my friends and other students on hygiene. I have also been given the opportunity to disseminate hygiene messages during flag ceremonies, and I am planning to continue these activities this year.”

Zeke thanks Splash and its partners that he and his friends are enjoying clean water for drinking and sufficient stations for handwashing!