Ms. Mwendwa Celebrates Her Student's Peace of Mind!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Serah Mwendwa. Since then, she and the students and teachers at Kasioni Primary School have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"I am glad that we have enough water within our school for drinking, cooking, and even cleaning the school's facilities," said Ms. Mwendwa.

Before the Raintank Installation

Like many teachers in Southeastern Kenya, 40-year-old Serah Mwendwa was responsible for supervising students who collected water to meet the school's daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her and her students' time and negatively affected them.

Students used to collect water from the unreliable tap that often ran dry.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the school 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 Ms. Mwendwa, in particular, it reduced her opportunity to focus completely on her students' education.

"We faced several water challenges in our school because we rarely get rainfall and have several months of drought. Although we had a tap stand within the school, it would run dry after several months of drought, forcing the administration to request pupils to fetch water from scoop holes in a distant seasonal river. The water from the open scoop holes was unsafe due to contamination by livestock and human activities. It was also not enough to satisfy water needs in the school, such as conducting hygiene or agriculture practicals," shared teacher Mwendwa.

Since the Raintank 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 Ms. Mwendwa’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

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

"I don't have to purchase my drinking water or carry water from home because there is an adequate supply in the school. Learners are also able to attend their classes on time because they are no longer required to avail water from the distant river," said Ms. Mwendwa.

"My health improved because I have enough clean water to drink within the school, and our meals are prepared on schedule because there is sufficient water within the school compound, thanks to the implemented water point. Regular hygiene in our school is now possible because there is enough water to prevent the spread of diseases," she continued.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Ms. Mwendwa and the rest of her school community. 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 system hardware, monitor water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water-quality samples to identify risks. We work with our on-the-ground team to resolve them.

You gave Ms. Mwendwa 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.

"Fetching water in our school only takes a few minutes because the implemented water point is within the compound," said Ms. Mwendwa. "Living with clean water has not only fostered proper hydration among the learners but also improved the engagement time between them and us. I am glad that I can teach all my pupils every day and no longer need to go back to various past topics for the entire team to catch up."

"The students' lives here in school have improved because the burden of carrying water from the distant river has been lifted. They are now spending their time studying, revising class work, chatting with friends, and playing. They have peace of mind during their stay at school because they do not have to worry about going to fetch water," she celebrated.