Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 154 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Aug 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Rose Serete, Field Officer

The 154 community members of Makhwabuye rely on a tiny, muddy pool of water as their primary source. People must stand ankle-deep in water to catch what they can of the slow trickle from the improvised collection pipe stuck in the dirt bank above the water.

"The main source of water is open to contamination since the discharge pipe is held with mud and stones. Also, animals graze around the water source, making it more dirty. The alternative source, which is rain, is not reliable, especially during [the] dry season," said field officer Rose Serete.

Unsurprisingly, the water people collect is contaminated. When people consume it, they often become sick with water-related illnesses costing their health, energy, and resources.

"The current water situation has affected my health because I went to hospital in January and I was diagnosed with typhoid. This made me to use a lot of money on my medication," said 50-year-old farmer Josca Kimani, shown below near the water source.

But the quality of water is not the only issue. The collection process being time-consuming doesn't come close to describing it. Not only is the stream of water slowly escaping the pipe, but since people must stand in the water and place their collection containers in it, they try to wait for it to settle between turns. Understandably, it never clears completely, and valuable time is wasted, hoping it will be less risky to step into and consume if it settles.

"This has made me go to school late severely because I have to wait for some time after someone has fetched water for it to be clean again. This has led [to] time wastage causing me to have little time in my studies, leading to bad grades at school," shared 10-year-old Robinson I., seen below collecting water.

The protection of the spring will enable people like Josca to quickly collect water so they can return to their other responsibilities and drink the water without fear of becoming ill. And children like Robinson will be able to focus on learning again.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Chlorine Dispensers

Installing chlorine dispensers is an important piece of our spring protection projects. Protecting a spring provides community members with an improved water source, but it doesn’t prevent contamination once the water is collected and stored. For example, if the water is clean and the container is dirty, the water will become contaminated.

We ensure that each chlorine dispenser is filled with diluted chlorine on a consistent schedule so that people can add pre-measured drops to each container of water they collect. That way, community members can feel even more confident in the quality of their water.

Project Updates


August, 2024: Makhwabuye Community Spring Protection Complete!

Your contribution has made access to clean water for the Makhwabuye Community possible!

We transformed their spring into a flowing source of naturally filtered water. A chlorine dispenser was installed to provide added protection, and we trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for community members to thrive!

Happy for clean water!

"Access to water will help my children save more time in their studies that will help them sharpen their career goals in academics and co-curricular activities. This new waterpoint makes a difference in their lives because, in [the] future, they will be assured of safe and clean water from a tender age, not like us, who had no access to clean water until the construction of the new water point," said 38-year-old farmer Naomi Khakoni.

Naomi.

Children were just as excited as adults about clean water access!

King celebrates.

"I think this new waterpoint will help my parents venture into farming that will help them carry out agricultural business for income and provide food for our family. This is because it will be so easy to fetch water due to easy access, and so it will not be a tedious activity," said 14-year-old King Rapando.

Preparing for Spring Protection

Community members worked together to source all locally available construction materials for the spring. These included bricks, sand, stones, and fencing poles. Because people have to carry most items by hand, the material-collection process can take anywhere from a few weeks to months.

When the community was ready, we delivered the remaining construction materials, including cement, plastic tarps, and hardware. Then, our construction artisan and field officers deployed to the spring to begin work.

Protecting the Protecting the Spring: A Step-by-Step Process

First, we excavated the spring area. This includes digging a drainage channel below the spring and several runoff diversion channels above and around the spring to help divert surface contaminants away.

To ensure community members could still access water throughout the construction process, we also dug temporary channels around the construction site to allow water to continue to flow. Excavation created space for setting the spring's foundation.

Laying the foundation.

After establishing the base, made of thick plastic, wire, concrete and waterproof cement, we started brickwork to build the spring walls and stairs. Once the walls were tall enough, we began one of the most crucial steps: setting the discharge pipe. The discharge pipe needs to be positioned low enough so the water level never rises above the spring's eye yet high enough to allow room for the average collection container (20-liters) to sit beneath the pipe without making contact to prevent cross-contamination.

Setting the discharge pipe.

If we place the pipe too high, back pressure could force water to emerge elsewhere. Too low, and community members would not be able to access the water easily.

In coordination with the walls and stairs, we cemented stones on both sides of the spring's drainage channel. These stones discourage people and animals from standing in that area, which could cause soil erosion and a clogged drainage area.

We then cemented and plastered the spring spring walls. These finishing layers reinforce the brickwork and prevent water in the reservoir from seeping through. In turn, enough pressure builds to push water out through the discharge pipe.

Plastering.

As the walls cured, we finished the stairs and installed tiles beneath the discharge pipe. The tiles protect the concrete from the falling water's erosive force.

We redirected the temporary diversion channels back into the reservoir box and closed all other exits to force water through only the discharge pipe. We filled the reservoir area with the large, clean stones arranging them in layers like a well-fitting puzzle. We covered the rocks with thick plastic and piled enough dirt on top to compensate for future settling.

Community members transplanted grass to help prevent erosion, and the collection area was fenced. The fence prevents people or animals from walking in the area above the spring, as compaction of this area can potentially compromise water quality.

The completed spring.

The construction process took about two weeks of work and patience. As soon as the spring was ready, people got the okay from their local field officers to fetch water.

We officially gave ownership of the waterpoint to the Makhwabuye Community.

All smiles.

"This group is full of passion with [a] cooperative mindset and willing to take good care of the complete waterpoint," said Field Officer Rose Serete.

Happiness and thanksgiving flowed in all directions!

Training on Health, Hygiene, and More

Together with the community, we found their preferred date for training. When the day arrived, facilitators deployed to the site to lead the event. 22 people attended the training, including 12 women and 10 men.

We discussed personal, oral, and environmental hygiene, emphasizing proper water handling, soap-making, and the ten steps of handwashing. We also highlighted the importance of primary health care and covered the operation and maintenance of the water point, as well as leadership and governance. By the end of the training, each participant had a clear understanding of their role in maintaining clean water and promoting good health within their community.

Learning how to properly maintain the spring.

We held an election for the newly formed water user committee who will oversee the maintenance of the spring. We brainstormed income-generating activities and encouraged them to start a group savings account for future minor repairs to the spring.

Community members learn how to make soap.

The participants were active throughout the hygiene training session, willing to volunteer, very attentive, and ready to ask questions.

Participant Josca Kimani using a handwashing station.

"This training has impacted my ideas about community hygiene practices. We have learned how to keep the environment clean and take care of it by slashing long grass, planting more indigenous trees, and having hygiene-promoting facilities," said 45-year-old Josca Kimani, the water committee secretary.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




July, 2024: Makhwabuye Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Makhwabuye Community costs people time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!




Project Photos


Project Type

Springs are water sources that come from deep underground, where the water is filtered through natural layers until it is clean enough to drink. Once the water pushes through the surface of the Earth, however, outside elements like waste and runoff can contaminate the water quickly. We protect spring sources from contamination with a simple waterproof cement structure surrounding layers of clay, stone, and soil. This construction channels the spring’s water through a discharge pipe, making water collection easier, faster, and cleaner. Each spring protection also includes a chlorine dispenser at the waterpoint so community members can be assured that the water they are drinking is entirely safe. Learn more here!


Contributors

2 individual donor(s)