Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 238 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Nov 2021

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/20/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Ithingili Primary School was started by the Kyandali community in 2010 to avail of a school for their children in the locality and stop the long distances traveled in search of education in the past. The school has been operating under the County Education board as a government school and realized its growth through support from the government, school parents, and the Mwingi North Constituency development fund.

The school is found in Kitui county, Kenya. The school rests in a small piece of land which hosts the school classes, a staff room, student restrooms, and a school shamba, which also acts as the school playground during the dry season. The school grounds are an uneven terrain. Some of its buildings are temporary - made of mud walls - including several classes and the school kitchen.

On an average day, the 238 students are expected to arrive at school at 6:45 AM, carrying a Jerrycan of water, and have their morning cleaning duties and studies until 8:00 AM. The school has been struggling with a high absenteeism rate because many students are uncomfortable being punished for failing to carry water to school. They would rather miss school when it is the turn of their class carrying water.

"We carry water to school for cooking and drinking during our stay in school. I usually carry a 5-liter container, which is a burden as I also have a school bag and sometimes firewood on top of it," said Wavinya M, a student at the school.

"The classes are dusty as the water is not enough to be used for cooking and dusting them. It is not easy being a student in this school, but it is the only one near our home."

There has been a total collapse of the school feeding program when students fail to bring enough water required to sustain the feeding program for the day. The school lacks a reliable water source. This has led to its slow growth and popularity among parents and pupils despite its improving performance over the years.

"We have been surviving through God's mercy. We have no water storage structures in school nor a reliable water source in school. It is such a bad problem at our school that even teachers carry their drinking water," said Head Teacher Daniel Ndua.

"The school has been growing slowly, mainly because of water-related challenges."

A rainwater harvesting tank will be ideal for the school because the school lacks a water source. The tank will harvest water from the available school buildings and make it available for the school population to use during their stay in school.

Rain Tank

We will build a 104,000-liter rain tank for this school. Because of how rarely it rains in Southeastern Kenya, this tank's large volume is designed to store as much water as possible during the seasonal rains, making more water available through the dry months. This water will benefit the students, teachers, and additional staff.

Parents will mobilize the materials needed for construction, including sand, stones, and water. They will also lend their strength and time to help with the construction. We will complement their materials with a skilled artisan to lead the project and provide the tools, lumber, metal, cement, and gutter system.

As soon as the tank has time to cure, it can begin collecting rainwater for the school's use.

Training

We will train students and staff on sanitation, hygiene, and other topics for one day. Those in attendance will form a school health club that will promote good hygiene and sanitation practices both at school and at home. They will learn all of the steps to proper handwashing, how to treat water, and how to keep their environment clean. The school will also be taught how to best oversee and maintain their new rain tank and handwashing stations.

Handwashing Stations

A total of 3 handwashing stations will be installed upon the project's completion and before training. These are 1,000-liter plastic tanks fitted with three taps each, allowing nine students to wash their hands at once. The student health club and school management will be responsible for making sure the tanks are filled with water and that a cleaning agent such as soap or ash is always available.

Project Updates


December, 2021: Celebrating Clean Water at Ithingili Primary School!

Ithingili Primary School's new rain tank now has a gorgeous new coat of blue and white paint!

Students and teachers are excited for their futures now that clean water is readily available on school grounds.

When an issue arises concerning the rain tank, the students and teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them. Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




November, 2021: Ithingili Primary School Rain Tank Construction Complete!

Ithingili Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new source of safe, clean water thanks to their rain tank, which can collect 104,000 liters of water. The tank is still being cured and needs a coat of beautiful blue and white paint. We'll send you pictures of the freshly painted tank as soon as we get them!

"Our school will improve in hygiene and sanitation," said Kavinya M., a 16-year-old student. "In the past, we could not wash our toilets and classes because of the water scarcity. This (the new tank) will avail a clean learning environment, which will improve both school attendance and performance."

Kavinya continued: "I will not also be carrying water from home that led to exhaustion upon school arrival. I will be able to concentrate on my studies, which will ultimately improve my academic performance."

Rain Tank Construction Process

First, we held a meeting with all parents and the school Head Teacher to plan the project. The parents agreed to collect construction materials like sand, rocks, and water. We would complement their materials by delivering the expertise, tools, lumber, metal, cement, and gutter system.

This tank is a whopping 104,000 liters because of a large student population and how rarely it rains in Southeastern Kenya. Therefore, the more water the tank can store during the seasonal rains, the more water will be available through the dry months for the students.

Construction for this large rain tank is much like the construction of a concrete house. First, we leveled the ground for foundation excavation.

Next, we laid alternating layers of impermeable rocks and mortar up to 7 feet high, with internal and external diameters of 25 and 28 feet, respectively.

We built a reinforced concrete column right up to the tank’s center, which holds up the roof and prevents it from caving in. We then plastered the walls both internally and externally with waterproof cement.

After that, we installed several feet of guttering and channeled them into the tank. Finally, we installed the roofing, made of iron sheets and timber with vents to allow rainwater into the tank from the gutters.

School leadership is armed with the technical skills to ensure that the water tank remains functional, and together we will identify gaps through our ongoing monitoring visits.

"The school community at large will access clean water that is safe for drinking, unlike before when pupils had to fetch water from unsafe sources that exposed us to water-related diseases," said teacher Peter Mukuti. "The clean water will also allow [the] preparation of school meals, which would motivate more pupils to come to school and learn."

Handwashing Stations

We delivered three new handwashing stations in time for training to be used for handwashing demonstrations. Each of these new stations has three taps so that nine students can wash their hands simultaneously.

New Knowledge

We trained on a variety of health, hygiene, and sanitation topics. These included student health club activities, disease transmission and prevention, personal hygiene, handwashing, water hygiene, food hygiene, latrine hygiene, and soapmaking.

"This training was important to me," said 16-year-old student Peter M. "I learned about how to maintain proper body and dental hygiene, social distancing, and compound cleanliness. The acquired knowledge will help me prevent transmission of infections because poor hygiene and sanitation practices such as compound littering have often led to infections within the school."

We asked Peter what it was like to be at home for most of the last year due to Kenya's national coronavirus-related school closures and what it has been like coming back to school.

"It was difficult to learn at home because there were too many distractions," Peter said. "Although there were places offering private and online classes, they were too costly for me. We could not also meet with our teachers for guidance on academics and the absence of the school setting also made me digress from academics. Our minds were no longer focused on learning."

When an issue arises concerning the rain tank, the students and teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them. Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




September, 2021: Ithingili Primary School Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Ithingili Primary School drains students’ time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this school through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!




Project Photos


Project Type

For a rainwater collection system, we build gutters around a building with good, clean roofing to channel rain where we want it. From there, the water falls through a filtered inlet pipe into a high-capacity storage tank, the size of which is based on population and average rainfall patterns. In the tank, water can be stored for months, where it is easily treated and accessed. Learn more here!


A Year Later: More Time to Play and Study!

December, 2022

A year ago, your generous donation helped Ithingili Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Caroline. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Ithingili Primary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Ithingili Primary School maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

Life for students at Ithingili Primary School used to be exhausting. Having to function without sufficient water made everyday things challenging.

"The rampant water scarcity within the school caused a lot of issues," said 15-year-old Caroline M.

"For instance, meals sometimes could delay, and conducting personal hygiene was onerous because there was no water in the school. Our classrooms were rarely cleaned, making learning uncomfortable. Carrying water from home was also exhausting and time-consuming, leaving me with little time to study or play with my friends."

But things have changed for Caroline and her classmates since a rain tank was installed last year.

"I now spend less time looking for water because the water point is nearby and offers a steady supply of water, even during the dry months," Caroline said. "We also manage to clean our classrooms and latrines regularly. Proper hygiene and sanitation within the school, as well as clean and easily accessible water, has led to a conducive learning environment. I get more time to play with my friends and study leading to improved academic performance."

"Hygiene and sanitation have improved, and I am more comfortable during lessons while keeping off diseases, such as typhoid and amoeba, because we are drinking clean water. I also spend less time and energy carrying water to school, which allows me to improve my academic performance," concluded Caroline.

Caroline with her teacher Mr. Mutemi.


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Ithingili Primary School maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Ithingili Primary School – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.


Contributors

The Michelle Kaye and John Waldrop Fund
Paypal Giving Fund
First Touch Bay Area
Facebook Donations
Numined Diamonds
United Way of the Capital Region
Teespring, IIC
Bulkin Charitable Fund
In honor of Anthony Rocco
Pacific Tide
Teespring, IIC
Cardinal Health
The 8th Grade Campaign for Clean Water!
Water Well Ramadan Project for Mohammed Islam
Water for Everyone
Global Water Dances Cork 2021 - Campaign for Water
Flashpoint's Water Challenge
Everyone Needs Water Campaign
IWU fights for Africa

And 5 other fundraising page(s)
91 individual donor(s)