AT ADP GOVERNMENT SCHOOL IN MARSHALL, STUDENTS USE NEARBY BUSHES TO EASE THEMSELVES BUT PRINCIPAL DENIES ASSERTION

January 28, 2025

Margibi, Marshall Like several schools in rural communities, the Albert Daniel Peabody Elementary and Junior High School students in Marshall, lower Margibi County are faced with several challenges but major amongst them is hygienic latrine.

According to Women’s TV Liberia’s investigation, students are using nearby bushes behind the school building to ease themselves something the students say is jeopardizing their safety daily and has caused fear.

Speaking to Women’s TV Liberia, the students most especially females expressed fear of being sexually abuse rape and kill while using the bushes to ease themselves. “We don’t have bathroom on the campus, we used the bushes to pupu and pee, we can be looking around to if someone coming, it’s not good for us but we just managing until we can get something better” some of the female students said.

“We have old toilet building on the campus but it’s not functional, it has been like this for years, when we approached the school, they tell it will be fix soon, how can we females go to the bathroom where there are no tissues, soap, water, pads? We don’t feel comfortable, but we don’t have any way out” another female student added. 

The students also noted that often time if they cannot use the bushes behind the school due to fear of being harm or pressure from school administration, they cover distances to go to their homes or nearby houses to use the bathroom causing them to miss lectures which the students say contributes to poor performance and reaching academic targets.

“Most time we missed lessons because of this, but we don’t have choose imagine recently a 5year boy was sodomized right in this same bush though he was not a student of the school, we fear for our lives, let the school make the bathroom functional” another female student who preferred not to be named told Women’s TV Liberia.

But refuting the allegation, the principal of the Albert Daniel Peabody elementary and junior high school Siplay Nagbe indicated that the allegation is false and misleading and is only intended to ruin the reputation of the school.

He toured Women’s TV Liberia’s reporter around the school building showing a small building in the back with commodes that looks deserted and have not been used for months.

The principal asserted that most time students leave the “modern” bathroom and go to the bushes to ease themselves. He attributed the students’ action to staying long in the rural communities and are uncomfortable with such lifestyles.  

“Some of the students used the bathroom while majority do not used especially the females, sometimes we even run after them to use the modern toilets on campus, but they refused, we can’t follow them in the bushes forcing them to come use the restroom on campus before somebody say we rape or abuse them” the principal noted.

The principal added that they are rallying support from stakeholders and development partners to erect fence at the campus which he believes will minimize students from using the bushes to ease themselves.