New bathrooms unusable at Panamanian school due to lack of water

Students at Llano Grande Primary School in Veraguas, Panama, are unable to use a newly constructed sanitation facility because it lacks water. This forces the 18 students from surrounding communities to continue using old, dilapidated latrines.

The school, which serves students from Llano Grande, El Hato, Carbón, and Cutubí, also faces persistent water shortages for basic needs like drinking, cleaning, and food preparation. Lorena Escobar, vice president of the school's board, explained that mothers must bring water from their homes daily for cooking. "We don't have water at the school. We have to bring water from home when we cook," she stated.

Without water, the new bathrooms are unusable. "All the children are not using the hygienic bathrooms because, as there is no water, they cannot use them. We are using the old pit ones for their needs," Escobar said. Families also supply water for students to drink and for cleaning and food preparation at the school.

Daisybeth Romero, secretary of the local water board and a Llano Grande resident, confirmed the water problem has persisted for years. The community's pumping system broke about eight years ago. Despite repairs using community funds and assurances from the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage, a permanent solution remains elusive. Romero expressed frustration, stating, "I have carried water from my house on my shoulder. Carrying water to clean the school, to cook. And I think that is not fair how we are living."

Beyond water, residents also lack reliable electricity and a proper road. The absence of electricity affects food storage at the school, sometimes forcing the return of perishable goods. "We don't have electricity, we don't have a road, and water, which is the most important thing," Romero lamented. In the meantime, the school practices rainwater harvesting during precipitation, using roofs and tanks to store water for agricultural activities.

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No tenemos agua en la escuela. Tenemos que traer agua de la casa cuando vamos a cocinar