February, 2021: King'ethesyoni Community Well Complete!

King'ethesyoni Community, Kenya, now has a new source of water thanks to your donation. A hand-dug well was constructed adjacent to a sand dam (go here to check it out). The dam was constructed on the riverbed, which will build up sand to raise the water table and naturally filter water. Recent rains have helped the dam begin to build up sand and store water.

It could take up to three years of rain (because sometimes it only rains once a year!) for this sand dam to reach maximum capacity. As the sand dam matures and stores more sand, a water supply will be available for drinking from the well. With this water, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile.

"We are happy to have been beneficiaries of this amazing water project. The project will help me have enough clean water at home, which will lead to improved hygiene and sanitation levels. It will also provide enough water for use at home for my family and children without the big struggle experienced before," said Gideon Nguli.

Gideon at the dam.

"I am planning to start irrigation farming on a large scale because water is available unlimitedly. I will be growing vegetables for my family and to sell in the nearby markets, which will earn me income to sustain my family needs."

Hand-Dug Well

Construction for this well was a success!

We worked with the Katambu Self-Help Group for this project. The members and their families contributed materials and physical labor to complete the project. Also, they were trained on various skills such as bookkeeping, financial management, project management, group dynamics, and governance. Additionally, we conducted hygiene and sanitation training to teach skills like soapmaking and improve behaviors such as handwashing.

When an issue arises concerning the water project, the group members are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure it works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers' team to assist them.

Hand-Dug Well Construction Process

We delivered the experts, materials, and tools, but the community helped get an extraordinary amount of work done, too. They collected local materials to supplement the project, including sand, stones, and water.

A hole 7 feet in diameter is excavated up to a recommended depth of 25 feet. (Most hand-dug wells do not reach that depth due to hard rocks between 10-18 ft.).

The diameter shrinks to 5 feet when construction of the hand-dug well lining is completed. This lining is made of brick and mortar with perforations to allow for water to seep through. Sand builds up around the well walls, which will naturally filter the rainwater stored behind the dam.

Once the lining construction reaches ground level, a precast concrete slab is laid on top and joined to the wall using mortar. Four bolts for the hand-pump are fixed on the slab during casting. The concrete needs to dry for two weeks before the pump is installed.

The mechanics arrive to install the pump as community members watch, learning how to manage simple maintenance tasks for themselves.

The well is then given another few days after installing the pump to dry the joints completely. The pump was installed level with the top of the sand dam. As the dam matures, sand will build-up to the top of the wall. Until then, people will climb the concrete steps to get their water.

"I am happy that clean water has been brought close to us through this water project. It will now be available from a stone's throw distance. There will be no more struggles of walking for long distances with donkeys searching for water from river scoop holes, which was not always clean. I look forward to a more healthy and smooth life without many water struggles," said Agnes Ngandi.

"Through the availability of enough water from this water project, I will always use my free time to draw water and use it to plant more fruit trees in our home farm and irrigate using the available water resources. It will be good because, after maturity, the fruits will be good for our consumption and to sell to others."

New Knowledge

All Katambu Self-Help Group members were informed of the need for hygiene and sanitation training after completing their sand dam's and shallow well's construction. Group members were required to attend the training alongside other interested community members. Through the area Field Officer Paul Musau and the WASH Officer Veronica MAtolo, the community was notified of the training date.

The training was held at one of the self-help group member's homesteads, Gideon Nguli. It was chosen for its central location, making it easily accessible to all with the availability of enough outdoor space to accommodate all the group members.

The attendance was as expected. Out of a possible 18 community group members, 17 of them consistently turned up for the community event. This was attributed to the timely communication before the training date, with all members being able to receive the communication in good time.

The trainer conferred with the field staff about their previous visits to households and interviews with community members to determine which topics the community could improve upon.

They decided to train on topics including health problems in the community, good and bad hygiene behaviors, how diseases spread and their prevention, choosing sanitation improvements, choosing improved hygiene behaviors; planning for behavioral change, handwashing, and soapmaking.

Tippy tap construction was one of the more notable topics during the training. Members said it was interesting because it is an easy infrastructure to construct that is affordable to all since it does not require any implementation. People were encouraged to go home and make their own handwashing stations.

"This training has imparted us with enough knowledge on our daily behaviors and how they affect us. For instance, washing fruits with running water has always been taken for granted, contributing to the transmission of diseases. Still, since we have learned the right way of washing them, we will start the practice and prevent disease transmission," said Ndana Kalele.

Handwashing demonstration

"We will start generating income from soap-making and improve meeting our basic needs at home. The knowledge on handwashing will also be critical during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic as it will help prevent the spread of the virus."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2021: King'ethesyoni Community hand-dug well underway!

Community members in King'ethesyoni do not have a reliable source for water. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point in the community and much more.

Get to know this community through the narrative and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with news of success!