Giving Update: Jidereri Primary School

Ever since the installation of their rain tank and other WaSH facilities last year, Jidereri Primary School has experienced many changes. The most noticeable of course is how they now have a reliable water source. Initially, pupils had to go quite a distance to an off-campus spring to fetch water, or they had to carry it from home from often unsafe sources. This was tiresome and time-consuming, which sacrificed pupils' time and energy that they could have utilized on their studies. This is now in the past as they can now walk out of their classrooms and access clean drinking water right from their rain tank. Also, cleaning in the school is now done on a daily basis because of the availability of water.

The staff and students at Jidereri Primary School are all very appreciative of their WaSH facilities. The way Head Teacher Mr. Aggrey Maloha together with the sanitation teacher manage the facilities well indeed shows that they had suffered for a long time. In fact, before our own rain tank design included a drawing point cover for the tank's tap area, Jidereri Primary School had fabricated their own cover to restrict water wastage and unwanted outside access. This demonstrated their clear desire to provide and maintain the best facilities possible for their students. Further, the hygiene and sanitation in the school have each greatly improved as refuse can no longer be seen around the school compound as it was before.

Abraham Were smiles at the rain tank's tap

"A lot of changes have been witnessed since [the] implementation of [the] WaSH facilities in our school," said Head Teacher Mr. Aggrey Maloha.

"To mention a few, we were rarely cleaning our classrooms but now we do it on [a] daily basis because of [the] availability of water. Besides that, our kids no longer have to go quite a distance [to the] spring from here in search of water. Ques in accessing sanitation facilities witnessed earlier have reduced after receiving 6 more doors of VIP latrines from the organization, then all 6 doors were given to girls because their sanitation facilities were limited in number. Also, our kids now do practice handwashing after visiting the toilet, something which was only practiced by teachers [before]."

Mr. Aggrey Moloha and Abraham at the rain tank

One of those pupils is 14-year-old Abraham Were, who was happy to share with us how these projects have impacted his experience as a learner at Jidereri Primary School.

"Since [the] implementation of these facilities, we have gotten enough time for our studies and safe water for drinking. We are no longer having to carry water from home to school or go to the spring to fetch water. More so, we do mop our classrooms on [a] daily basis, something which was rarely done before. This has enabled us [to] study in a more conducive environment. [In] my case, I only have to carry books unlike before when I used to carry water in one hand and books in the other."

Mr. Maloha, Abraham, and Field Officer Wilson Kipchoge at the rain tank