Project Status



Project Type:  Well Rehab

Program: Well Rehab in Kenya

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2014

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/25/2024

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:

PROPOSED PROJECT

The proposed Ihonje primary school was started in the year 1970 as an early child development center. The school is under the sponsorship of the African inland church. Among other schools, the school was blessed to be provided with a drilled well in the year 1985 by the Kenya Finland Company.

The well served the school and the community for a long period of time until when it started developing problems. Since there was no proper water committee in place, the well was abandoned hence the school went back to access water from the unprotected springs. As time went by, the springs dried off forcing the school to seek help from the community members who came in and dug a well just a few meters from the initial well drilled by the Kenya Finland Company.

The new hand dug well served the school until 2004 when there was an outbreak of waterborne diseases, which caused a lot of harm to the pupils. The outbreak was as a result of the recontamination of the well since it was just open. The well also posed a risk to the young children who could easily fall in. Since then, the school was forced to stop using the well hence every pupil is now forced to carry water from home to school.

On assessing the well, BWP has seen a need to rehabilitate it so as to help the school access safe and clean water. By doing so, the well will be flushed and thereafter an afridev pump installed so as to avoid recontamination.

CURRENT WATER SOURCE

There are no safe water points close to the school. The pupils are forced to carry water from home.

The school has a small tank which rainwater is collected during the rainy season. The little water collected in the tank cannot serve the population of the school.

Talking to some pupils about the situation, they expressed their fate of how they are forced to walk long distances searching for water regardless of its neither quality nor quantity

POPULATION

The school population is as follows:

Pupils: 724 pupils (324girls and 400 boys)

Teachers: 19

Support staff: 3

Community: 30 households (approx. 6 members per household)

(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 AND SANITATION

Ihonje primary school has enough latrines for the pupils and teachers. The pupils clean the latrines daily. There is no hand washing practice done in the school. This poses a high risk of spread of diseases.

Jiggers also affect the pupils of this school. As per the information given by the deputy head teacher, the jigger menace is as a result of dirty environment back at home.

An effective hygiene and sanitation training is needed to be done to the teachers and pupils of this school so as to save the situation and change their attitude.

WATER COMMITTEE

The water committee is yet to be formed prior to the implementation of the project.

We're just getting started, check back soon!


Project Photos


Project Type

Well rehabilitation is one of the most cost effective ways to bring clean, safe water to a community.  Sometimes it involves fixing a broken hand pump, other times it means sealing a hand dug well to prevent it from being contaminated.  These repairs, and often time total replacements, coupled with sanitation and hygiene training make a huge impact in communities.


Contributors

1 individual donor(s)