Judith's Students Have the Tools to Succeed!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Judith. Since then, she and the St. Lukes ACK Shanderema Secondary School of 546 students and staff have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Good health has been an evident indicator and the school has drastically improved; even the cooks are able to get water for preparing food much easier." - Judith

Before the Well's Installation

Like many teachers in Kenya, 33-year-old Judith Lelei felt the burden of her school's water crisis as they struggled to meet their daily water needs. Before last year's water intervention, that task stole her time and negatively affected her ability to give her students a well-rounded and uninterrupted education.

The dug-well where students often had to wait for the water to recharge or would run dry.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in her school suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. The well's limited accessibility also meant people wasted time trying to collect sufficient water to meet their needs. This sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks and sometimes preventing them from prioritizing their education. This negatively impacted their futures. For Judith, in particular, it made teaching extremely difficult and uncomfortable.

"We used to use a hand-dug well that wasn't reliable most of the time because it dries up. Especially during the dry seasons, there [was] congestion causing the children to take a lot of time at the water source. Sometimes some were injured due to the commotion and the water from the waterpoint was [so] contaminated that many did not use it for drinking," shared Judith.

"Getting water was tedious for us, especially during the dry season and they had no drinking water because the water was contaminated for us. [We had to] force the students to come with water from home. This, in turn, was time-consuming because the students had to wake up and go to their home water source to fetch water before reporting to school," she continued.

Since the Well's 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 Judith’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality for her, fostering hope for a brighter future.

The new well, a year later!

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

"The good thing now is that we have our school water source, which is very reliable all through the year, and clean, and safe for us to drink. Since the waterpoint was implemented there have not been cases of waterborne diseases and we are able to continue with [the] school curriculum effectively," Judith said.

Judith.

"Students have a much easier time and they get to settle for studies and classes earlier. Their hygiene has evidently improved and [they have] maintained [their] health because they have clean water," concluded Judith.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Judith and the rest of her 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.

When asked what new developments the school had achieved in the last year, Judith eagerly shared, "The school has agricultural projects for agricultural studies, and this water has really helped them get water easier, especially during the dry season and this has made their agricultural grades improve."

You gave Judith a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help her fulfill her dreams.

The school's agriculture project.