A Year Later: Matete Girls High School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a rainwater tank for Matete Girls High 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 local team member Mary Afandi with you.

After Matete Girls High School benefited from this project, things around the school changed for the better.

The girls used to go and fetch water from Matete Primary School. In so doing, they wasted a lot of valuable time for studying and the constant movement caused a lot of commotion.

"We are happy because the water tank and toilets are helpful to us. We now spend less time collecting the water from the water tank," 14-year-old Edah Lutomia said during a recent visit to the school.

Edah Lutomia at the tank

General cleanliness has really improved as well. The students now wash their hands after visiting the toilets.

"Latrines are useful for the girls. Without [the new latrines] there would be congestion at the facilities," sanitation teacher Karen Luseka added.

Karen Luseka

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 Matete Girls High School is changing many lives.

Students fill their handwashing station with water

"After the construction of the water tank, a lot of water is being harvested from roof catchment, making it readily and conveniently available for use by the girls. This initiative saves the students time and allows them to concentrate on their academic work," Ms. Luseka explained.

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.