Mr. Rufus' Students Gain Time to Learn and Play!

Your gift last year unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Clinton and his students. Since then, he and the 335 students of Ematsayi Primary School have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"The water we get from this waterpoint is very clean and fresh."

Before the Well Installation

Like many teachers in Kenya, Mr. Clinton Rufus supervises the collection of water to meet the school's daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole his time and negatively affected him and his students.

Students walking to collect water before the well installation.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Mr. Rufus, in particular, it lessened his opportunity to focus his energy on teaching.

"We had issues with [the] security of children when we sent them to look for water. They collected water from various wells in the community. The water was not clean," shared Mr. Rufus.

"The situation was bad, especially when the drought season kicked in. We sent our children to get water from outside. We relied on hand-dug wells within the community, which also went dry, leaving us with [the only] option of getting water from a passing stream," he continued.

Since the Well Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Mr. Rufus and his students' future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"We [are] able to collect water within thirty minutes for all school activities. In the past, we spent over two hours [for] children [to] get water from the community," said Mr. Rufus.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Mr. Rufus and the rest of his school. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave him a crucial tool for achieving his dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, his dedication as a teacher will help his students fulfill their dreams.

"Nowadays, our children engage in other activities like games. In the past, the students did [not] have enough time, as part of their time was used to look for water," shared Mr. Rufus.

"Our lives as teachers have become very easy, especially when we are on duty. Children come early to school; they wash their hands after visiting [the] latrines. We have been able to manage time well, the general cleanliness of the school has improved, and children are happy to carry only books to school, unlike before, when they used to carry water and books."

Mr. Rufus shared about progress that will benefit everyone in the long run: "We have developed a small vegetable garden for the school."

With water readily available and more time and energy, the future is bright for Ematsayi Primary School.

Students watering the school garden.