Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: The Water Promise - Kenya

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2015

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/24/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project is part of Bridge Water Project's program in Western Kenya. What follows is direct from them:

BACKGROUND

The proposed Shisango secondary school was started in the year 2009 through the combined efforts of Shisango primary school teachers and parents. Shisango secondary school is a girl’s school, which is now having two academic streams, that is form one and two.

Since its inception, the school has managed to put up one block building, which serves as the computer class and the other two rooms where the students conduct their studies.

Most of the students of this school come from the neighboring communities. Among many challenges, like lack of a library, limited teaching personnel, and lack of basic facilities, the school’s most pressing challenge is a lack of consistent quality water supply.

The school management board and entire fraternity of Shisango girl’s secondary school learned of Bridge Water Project Development activities and completed an application for help to drill and provide water for the school.

CURRENT WATER SOURCE

Currently, the Shisango secondary school together with the primary school students and pupils respectively carry water from their homes. The water quality and water storage is questionable since the containers used to carry water are dirty and the children have not been properly trained in transport and storage of water. They are also collecting water from unsafe sources such as open streams.
During the dry season, most of these streams in the area dry up, which leaves children having to walk even farther for water. This can also be a risk for young girls who have to travel far distances for clean water. They are at risk by predators and also lose valuable time that could be more constructively used, for studying and play.

POPULATION

The secondary school has an enrollment of 150 girls as the enrollment of the new students joining form one still going on, and 4 teachers. The primary section has a population of 750 pupils and 25 teachers.

(Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people.  This community would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)

HYGIENE & SANITATION

The school has few permanent classrooms which are washed once per week (that’s on Friday), 6 pit latrines for students and 8 pit latrines for pupils, 4 for teachers (2 for male and 2 for female teachers). The latrines are not washed on daily basis.

Both the secondary and primary section have no hand washing stations except one for teachers which is located at the office door.

There’s a kitchen where food is prepared and served. There is composite pit where litters are dumped.

ACCESSING THE NEED

There is need to drill a borehole for the proposed Shisango Girls Secondary school that is aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene status of the entire school and also to enable students get quality water supplies for their domestic needs, hence reducing water borne disease cases in the school with a reliable water point which will contribute towards academic performance.

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

If a well is drilled, it will benefit the students and pupils of Shisango.

WATER COMMITTEE

The water management committee will be formed and strengthened by BWP staff during community education on water and sanitation prior to the implementation of the proposed water project.

RISKS

Lack of water for drilling and therefore more manpower is required for bringing water needed for the drilling process.

Project Updates


July, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Shisango Secondary School

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Shisango, Kenya.

We trained community members on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19. Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point, along with a sign with reminders of what we covered.

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

We continue to stay in touch with this community as the pandemic progresses. We want to ensure their water point remains functional and their community stays informed about the virus.

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




March, 2018: New Intervention at Shisango Secondary School

The initial project in this school (seen in the reporting found on this page) is a display of our shared commitment to helping this community with first time water access. Equally as important to the school and The Water Project is providing ongoing support to make sure that water is reliable, day after day, year after year. This is why we monitor all our projects. Over time we’ve found that the water table has dropped in this area, limiting the intended benefit of this well. Though not common, this does happen from time to time.  

Because of our commitment to this school (and the lasting impact that our supporters want to make), we’ve drilled a much deeper well in order to access a higher yield aquifer. This work will ensure that clean water is accessible here year round. To see that work, click here.




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Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!