A Year Later: Emukangu Primary School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a new rainwater catchment tank for Emukangu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – and we’re excited to share this one from Karen Maruti with you.

Things around here have changed for better.

Initially, the pupils used to go down the stream to fetch water. In doing so, they wasted a lot of valuable time that could have been spent studying. Keeping the school clean was not an easy task since the little water that was brought back to the school was used for the school lunch program.

But now the story is different. The school, toilets, and classrooms looked cleaner after the hygiene training and with the availability of water in the compound. Students are no longer seen going in and out of the school with their jerrycans filled with water. Those class interruptions have been put to a stop. This calm has created a good learning environment for pupils at Emukangu Primary School.

"This project has really improved our image and changed our status in this community," Teacher Patrick Anyembe said.

"We are really grateful for the project. We are confident that this will go a long way in improving the academic performance of our students."

Patrick Anyembe and students in front of the tank

Construction of the tank is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This tank in Emukangu Primary School is changing many lives.

"In the past, we used to go to the river and wasted a lot of time instead of studying. Now our story has changed. We have more time to study," 13-year-old Deograciuos Ouma said.

"I have all the reasons to pass my examinations and pursue the career of being a pilot."

This is only possible because of the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise and how you can help.