Metema, Ethiopia – As the midday bell rings at Metema Yohannes Primary School, laughter erupts across the schoolyard. Children spill from their classrooms, racing to their lunch bags, kicking around a makeshift football, and darting toward the toilets – precious minutes of joy and movement.
For these children, many of whom fled the conflict in Sudan, this bell signals more than a break from lessons – it marks a fragile sense of safety after months of uncertainty.
Located in Metema, a quiet border town in western Ethiopia, the school has become a haven for Sudanese and Ethiopian children escaping violence that erupted in April 2023. The sudden influx of refugees has put enormous pressure on this once-overlooked community.
“Even before the crisis, we were stretched thin,” says Mekonnen Kassa, Deputy Principal of Metema Yohannes Primary School. “But when the number of students grew overnight, it became a real struggle, especially when it came to sanitation.”
One latrine for every 265 students. That was the reality.
For Kalkidan, 14, the school offered hope – but even that came with challenges. “We only have 15 minutes for break. The toilet line was always long. By the time I got back to class, I was sometimes late. Once, the teacher thought I was skipping,” she says, eyes downcast.
Her classmate Dagim, 13, adds, “It wasn’t just about the wait. It was about feeling embarrassed. There weren’t enough toilets. And when you're worried about that, it’s hard to think about schoolwork.”
The consequences go beyond inconvenience. Inadequate sanitation leads to illness, missed school days, and emotional stress – especially for adolescent girls. The lack of clean, safe toilets silently threatens children's health, dignity, and future.
Recognizing the urgency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stepped in. After assessing the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) needs at the school, IOM constructed two semi-permanent latrine blocks, each with 12 stalls – divided for boys and girls, and equipped with inclusive features for students with disabilities.
“These facilities aren't just structures, they restore dignity,” says Alehegn Ayele, IOM WASH Assistant. “When students have access to clean, safe toilets, they show up differently. They focus, they participate, they thrive.”
The change was immediate and visible. “Now the student-to-toilet ratio is one for every 105 students,” says Deputy Principal Mekonnen. “That’s a huge improvement. We’ve seen fewer absences and a real lift in morale.”
For Kalkidan, the difference is deeply felt. “Now, I don’t have to rush or worry about being late. I can just focus on learning.”
IOM constructed two semi-permanent latrine blocks, each with 12 stalls – divided for boys and girls, and equipped with inclusive features for students with disabilities. Photo: IOM 2024/Alemayehu Seifeselassie
From 2023 to today, IOM has constructed or rehabilitated over 5,300 latrines across Ethiopia –benefiting more than 100,000 refugees, displaced persons, returnees, and host community members. But in places like Metema, the impact is measured not only in numbers, but in the smiles of students reclaiming their right to learn.
Because when a child feels safe enough to learn, they don’t just survive – they begin to dream again. And with every latrine built, every hand washed, and every bell rung, hope echoes a little louder across the border.
Story by Alemayehu Seifeselassie, IOM Ethiopia.
