September, 2019: Giving Update: Erusui Secondary School

A year ago, your generous donation helped Erusui Secondary School in Kenya access clean water.

There’s an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water at Erusui Secondary School. Month after month, their giving supports ongoing sustainability programs that help this school maintain access to safe, reliable water. Read more…

August, 2018: Erusui Secondary School Project Complete

A new rainwater catchment system is now complete! Erusui Secondary School in Kenya now has a new source of safe, clean water thanks to your support. Handwashing stations were installed so that students can clean up after using their new latrines, and students and staff have received training in sanitation and hygiene.

New Knowledge

The principal had teachers work together to select four student leaders from each class to represent their peers. She also invited two parents and another teacher to attend. Many of the students there had already helped a lot during tank construction, gathering water to mix cement. They were eager to learn about their new water source during training because of the dedication they had already shown our artisans.

The institution has an infrastructure issue to the extent that some students must study outside under trees. Due to lack of enough classrooms, hygiene and sanitation training was also carried out under the trees. Just about thirty minutes into the second session of training, the skies turned darker and darker; then came the heavy winds and raindrops. We were all running around seeking shelter in different places, then reached an agreement to postpone the rest of training until the following day.

Everyone was engrossed in group discussions, but one teacher, who is also a leader at a nearby church, was the most interesting participant. She asked so many questions, especially in the area of hygiene challenges affecting girls. She has been a leader with a burden for young people, for she has seen a lot of issues come up in her years of ministry. She was able to teach participants valuable knowledge acquired over the years, and also learned a lot of new things for herself.

We covered several topics, including bathing, oral hygiene, and handwashing with soap as a barrier from germs; operation and maintenance of the new facilities, with each person understanding their role for long-lasting clean water and good health. Students and teachers have also banded together to form a student health club that will recruit even more members to promote health at school and at home.

There was such an extreme interest in nutrition! Students had the hardest time accepting that soda pop is bad for them. They tried everything they could to convince us that soda pop is OK. Maybe if you drink enough water, it will wash all of the bad parts of soda away? They were also shocked to hear that too much red meat is not good. The trainers had to move step by step to convince students that soda and lots of meat really would have a harmful impact on their bodies.

Student Sharon Khajina said, "For these two days, we have been able to acquire very important knowledge that we would not have found in any other place. We request that you go to other schools and teach them the same because we need the whole of Shamakhokho location to get out of ignorance and keep away from such problems that can be avoided."

Handwashing Stations

Pupils can now enjoy washing their hands with soap thanks to the two handwashing stations that were delivered to their school. Before, there was nowhere to wash hands. These new handwashing opportunities will help reduce cases of hygiene-related illness. The training on hygiene has motivated these students to share what they’ve learned both with their peers at school and families at home.

VIP Latrines

This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. All of these new latrines have cement floors that are easy to use and clean. And with a rainwater catchment tank, there should be enough water to keep them clean all the time.

Rainwater Catchment Tank

Construction for this 50,000-liter rainwater catchment tank is a success!

Parents, staff, and students helped our artisans gather everything needed for construction. All the while, women cooked meals for the artisans, and the school provided accommodations for the artisans during their work. Local men and women helped our artisans with their manual labor, too.

Sifting sand to mix quality cement

The process officially began with our staff and school administration looking around the school compound to try and determine the best location for a new rainwater catchment tank. This needed to be the best site with good, clean roofing to catch the rainwater.

Then, we cleared the site: excavating the soil within the required measurements to make level ground for the tank foundation. The foundation was cast by laying stones on a level ground and then reinforcing it using steel, concrete and waterproof cement.

Both the drawing pipe as well as the washout pipe were affixed as the foundation was lain. The wall was built with ferro-cement techniques through six layers. The inner wall was plastered while rough casting was done on the outer part.

Dome construction could begin after the superstructure had been given enough time to settle. The manhole cover was fitted, inlet pipes were connected to the roof gutters, inlet screens, ventilation pipes (breathers) and overflow pipes were all done to standard.

Finally, the catchment area was dug, plastered, and steps to the tap installed.

Once finished, the tank was given three weeks to undergo complete curing before it was cleaned and handed over to Erusui Secondary School, though we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program.

Felix Akalomba

"We used to insert a pipe into the local church tank to get water because its tap was broken. Now we have a new and beautiful tank that has a tap for easy drawing of water. Water will not splash on us again as we bring water back to school. We will be dry all over, and that boosts our esteem even as we walk along the road," Student Felix Akalomba said.

"We are now very proud of our school!"

The principal is confident that with these resources, new students will enroll at Erusui Secondary School. And as the local government sees this growth, they will subsidize the construction of much-needed classroom facilities. This clean water will have a bigger impact that we can even imagine!

June, 2018: Artisans Working at Erusui Secondary School

We just received official word that construction is happening at Erusui Secondary School. Artisans have arrived on school grounds to work on a rainwater catchment tank and latrines and will remain in the area until the work is finished. Secondary students are currently on a short break before next term. It's wonderful to know that a new clean water source will be there when they return.

We will reach out again as soon as we have more information; most likely when both training and construction are complete. We are looking forward to sharing the clean water celebration with you!

May, 2018: Erusui Secondary School Scheduling

Artisans arrived at Erusui Secondary School late this month. This will delay our training since we prefer to use the completed tank and latrines during our management and care demonstrations. Please bear with us as we work closely with the school to best encourage and support students, teachers, and their parents as we bring them a lasting source of clean water. We are excited that the artisans are ready to begin, and we look forward to sharing great news soon!

January, 2018: Erusui Secondary School Project Underway

Erusui Secondary School in Kenya has begun building a new source of safe, clean water because of your generous donation. A rainwater catchment tank and new latrines are being constructed, hand-washing stations provided, and the school is being trained on proper sanitation and hygiene practices. Imagine the impact this will have on these students! Thank you for noticing the need here, and we’ll keep you posted as the work continues. For now, please enjoy the new stories, pictures, and maps of this school.