Giving Update: Bushili Primary School

Life for the staff and students of Bushili Primary School has improved greatly since the implementation of the WaSH projects in their school last year. Initially, pupils wasted a lot of their time queuing for water in the sole borehole at Bushili market, which serves many people right from the community members, traders, and pupils to the Bushili Secondary School students. Now, with the rain tank's capacity of 50,000 liters, pupils can access safe and sufficient clear water at their fingertips within school grounds.

Sanitation and hygiene have also improved. Though the school is still working on building more sanitation facilities to suit their increasing population, the 6 VIP latrines constructed by our team as a package to complement the rain tank serves them well. These have helped to reduce the long ques witnessed at the few existing latrines before the implementation of WaSH projects at Bushili Primary.

Stepping into the Bushili Primary School compound, you quickly and easily notice the changes that have happened in the school since last year. The environment is free from litter and the nearly 1,000 water containers from students bringing water to school that sat in front of the administration block and used to welcome visitors are no longer present. Instead, you see the huge rain tank, well-constructed pit latrines and the handwashing stations spread across the school's compound.

Field Officer Wilson Kipchoge with Head Teacher Mr. Ronald Mashishia in front of the rain tank

"We are very grateful for [your] considering our school for [the] WaSH projects," said Head Teacher Ronald Mashishia.

"The tank has helped us greatly [as] pupils do get sufficient water for quenching thirst and also for cleaning their classrooms and the pit latrines. Generally, the sanitation and hygiene in the school have improved as a result of these projects. The VIP latrines have reduced the congestion [in line] that were witnessed before construction. Besides that, pupils do wash their hands after toilet visits, something which was not common before."

Mashishia fills up at the rain tank

One of those pupils, 13-year-old Vanessa Kavaya, shared how these projects have impacted her personally at Bushili Primary School.

Vanessa with Mashishia at the rain tank

"Since the implementation of the project in our school, we have gotten humble time for studies. We can now attend morning and evening preps because we are no longer [sent] to go and fetch water from the borehole at Bushili market, which is so overcrowded."

"We are happy and sincerely thank you people for this initiative. Initially, we could visit [the] toilet and fail to wash our hands because one, water was a great challenge and [two], we had no handwashing stations. Our hygiene now has improved because we now wash our hands after [every] toilet visit."

Kipchoge with Vanessa at the rain tank