Elwakana Health Center

Project Status

Project Type: Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 62 Served

Project Phase: In Service - Sep 2025

Functionality Status: Functional

Project Features

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The staff of Elwakana Health Center, which regularly treats an average of 60 outpatients a day, desperately needs clean water to offer the best medical care possible. Without it, their doors are shuttered.

There is a dug well in the community that staff can access, but it is far away, consistently overcrowded, and suffers from low water quantity. It runs dry, making collecting enough water to operate the health center impossible. The water they do manage to collect also risks making their patients more ill since it is regularly contaminated.

Therefore, the health center relies on rainwater collected in a small rain tank on the facility grounds. However, its water also quickly runs dry, and staff members are forced to leave the premises in search of more water. This leaves their station unmanned and further risks people's health.

Nurse Ruth collects water from the rain tank.

The rainwater tank only has a capacity of 2000 liters. It's not a reliable source because there is no nearby alternative when the tank is empty during the dry season. The staff walk long distances in search of water or sometimes hire someone to fetch water for them. This is time-consuming and costly, and the water is not clean, ultimately making it unsafe for consumption.

"Drinking water that harms your patient's health or your family should not be encouraged at all because the treatment of water-related illness is not easy. It's really costly," shared 37-year-old nurse Ruth Andika.

Ruth.

"This facility had to set aside some amount [of money] that the government normally gives on a monthly basis to be able to repair the broken dug well, but all have been in vain because the amount given to them is not even enough for the smooth running of the facility," Ruth continued.

Worst of all, the government mandates that when there is no water, the health center must close and not offer health services. This makes sense, yet it leaves those living in the area in a desperate situation, unsure of where to go for help when needed.

"Since the water point broke down, we are not allowed to do admissions because we don't have enough water to provide for the patients!" exclaimed Ruth.

"Water is life, in that without water our body cannot function normally, and because our body needs a lot of water so as not to be dehydrated, we term it as water is life."

Ruth desires to care for her patients well, yet she understands she cannot operate in a facility without water, leaving her feeling helpless.

Steps Toward a Solution

Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. They decided to drill a borehole well, construct a platform for the well, and attach a hand pump.

Well
Abundant water often lies just beneath our feet. Aquifers—natural underground rivers—flow through layers of sediment and rock, offering a constant supply of safe water. A borehole well is drilled deep into the earth to access this naturally filtered and protected water. We penetrate meters, sometimes even hundreds of meters, of soil, silt, rock, and more to reach the water underground. Once found, we construct a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute. Learn more here!

Handwashing Stations
Alongside each water source, we install handwashing stations at points of care and at the latrines, enabling everyone at the health center to wash their hands. Handwashing is crucial for preventing water-related illnesses within the health center and community. Health center staff will maintain the stations, fill them with water, and supply them with soap, which we will teach them how to make.

Latrines
We ensure there are Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine blocks that effectively prevent the transmission of fecal diseases. Each latrine will boast a durable cement floor for easy use and maintenance. We’ll ensure at least one stall is reserved for staff, along with gender-separated toilets that include menstrual hygiene facilities and accessible options for individuals with limited mobility.

Health Center Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each health center's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee comprises a community health volunteer, the staff in charge of the clinic, a community leader, and the health center board representative. They assume responsibility for maintaining the waterpoint, promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices, and keeping handwashing stations well-stocked.

Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community.

Project Updates

September, 2025: Elwakana Health Center Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Elwakana Health Center in Kenya, thanks to the completion of their borehole well! Staff, patients, and their families are already using the well’s flowing water, which will provide the health center with a reliable water source for all of its daily needs.

"Being a nurse at Elwakana dispensary, the establishment of a new, reliable water point will be a game-changer both to me and to my patients. To my patients, they [will] be able to receive better medication administration and dilution because some medications require dilution with clean water, which we have access to. Also, patients will have safe maternal and newborn care. And to my job, it will reduce workload and stress because I will not be worrying about rationing water, and it will also enhance the efficiency of workflow because everything will be done efficiently and effectively," shared Head Nurse Ruth Andika.

Head Nurse Ruth Andika.

Clariss Wamoyi is an assistant at the health facility. She said, "Access to water will help me save on time and energy, and to my colleagues it will give them ample time to do their work effectively, and to my patients it will improve their hygiene and sanitation."

Clariss Wamoyi.

How We Got the Water Flowing

Staff and community members all contributed to this well’s success. After determining the best site for the well through a hydrogeological survey, we obtained approval from the government to begin drilling.

To prepare, everyone helped collect fine sand and water for cement-making. Our drill team and staff arrived at the center to begin work when everything was ready.

Groundbreaking ceremony.

Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 110 meters with a final static water level of 20 meters.

Drilling.

The drilling process can take up to three consecutive days to complete due to this region’s hard bedrock, so the drill team set up a camp where they could rest and refuel.

Once we reached the required depth, a permanent casing was installed and the dirty water at the bottom of the well was bailed out. Workers installed pipes, flushed them, tested the well’s yield, and chlorinated the water.

Installing the casing.

After chlorination, we constructed a cement well pad to seal it off from any ground-level contaminants. Tiles were installed beneath the spout to protect the cement from the erosive force of the water.

Constructing the cement pad.

We included a short drainage channel and a soak pit to carry spilled water away from the pump and prevent standing water.

Installing the handpump.

When the well pad was dry, we installed a new stainless steel hand pump and performed a water quality test. The results showed this water was safe for drinking!

The enthusiasm for this much-anticipated project was overwhelming. We officially gave ownership of the new borehole to health center staff and the local community members.

Field Officer Mercy Wamalwa described the dedication ceremony. "It was not an ordinary day to the people living in Elwakana Community, but to them, it was a day a new borehole, a true lifeline, would be officially handed over to the facility, and everyone around felt the shift in the atmosphere. Among the attendees were community village elders from different communities, community administrators, community health promoters, and religious leaders who opened the ceremony with a word of prayer, then later on, the ceremony began."

Everyone celebrated the health center’s new water source. The celebration was a great opportunity to acknowledge the staff and remind them of our continued support. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

Community Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the health center staff. When the training day arrived, field officers Mercy, Joy, and Mercy Wamalwa deployed to the site to lead the event. Twenty-two people attended the training.

"Participants in the hygiene training showed strong commitment through their active participation, consistent attendance, and high completion rates. They were observed taking notes, engaging with materials, and asking clarifying questions, demonstrating a desire to thoroughly understand the content. Their enthusiasm was evident in their positive body language, voluntary contributions to discussions, and expressed value for the training, indicating a genuine interest in improving hygiene practices," said Field Officer Mercy Wamalwa.

Soapmaking training.

During our training, we covered a range of essential topics, including personal, oral, food, and environmental hygiene. We discussed disease prevention strategies, the ten-step handwashing protocol, and the construction of handwashing facilities. Additionally, we talked about safe water handling, maintenance and operation of water points, as well as principles of leadership and governance.

Esther celebrates clean water with local students.

The Chairperson of the Water User Committee, Esther Emirundu shared her favorite training topic. "The most interesting topic was under oral hygiene, and it's because I was able to learn how I should be brushing my teeth. All alone, I have not been doing it correctly, [which] made it more interesting. I learned that after brushing my teeth, [I] am not supposed to take water, instead I should just wash the area around the mouth, then wash my toothbrush," said Esther

Thank you for making all of this possible!

August, 2025: Exciting Progress at Elwakana Health Center!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Nurse Ruth Andika and the other staff and patients of Elwakana Health Center. Construction has begun on the well project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the staff and local community with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water at Elwakana Health Center!

Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!