Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 105 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Nov 2026

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



The Nyaporo Dispensary in Western Kenya serves an average of 85 patients daily, along with 12 staff members and the community members who live nearby. It currently relies on a dug well that creates more problems than it solves due to its state of disrepair and seasonality. For five years, this health facility and community have suffered from a water crisis that has severely impacted their medical care.

The non-functional dug well.

Field Officer Joy Ongeri described the water from the well: "The water is not that clear and seems to appear milky. [It] also tastes rusty [and] that makes it hard to drink it without filtration."

This dispensary is very busy, seeing many patients, but it's difficult to meet their needs without clean water.

Patient care.

"The facility has a hard time to get clean and safe water due to [the] low yield and seasonality of their water source. [This] has even made it hard for maternity care [to] be had, especially during the dry seasons. The community [members] have walked long distances, more than half an hour, just to get water from the nearest spring," continued Joy.

Nurse Lydia Olunga shared, "The water is not that clear, which [makes it] appear milky during the rainy seasons and also turns brown with some sand particles during the dry seasons."

This is not sterile water that should be used in a healthcare facility, but they are left with no other option. Water-related illnesses are reported, causing more patients to need care, which means they need more clean water. It is a frustrating, continuous cycle.

Nurse Lydia Olunga.

"Water is an aspect of our existence that we cannot ignore. Without water, nothing can be done because, as human beings ourselves, our body is over 50% water, and we are not able to live without it because water provides hygiene, health, and sanitation," continued Lydia.

Treatment room.

The installation of a borehole well at Nyaporo Dispensary will greatly benefit staff members like Lydia. With the new well in place, she can focus more on providing enhanced patient care while also taking proactive measures to safeguard the community against water-related illnesses. The availability of clean and reliable water from the borehole will ensure the patient's well-being and contribute to the community's overall health and sustainability.

Steps Toward a Solution

For health care settings, immediate access to a large quantity of clean water is crucial for handwashing, sterilization of equipment, cleaning, and safe childbirth. Water that is off-site creates delays, impacts patient care, and increases the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
Our coverage goals aim for all health centers to have an on-premises water source that will sufficiently serve the patients, healthcare providers, and staff to ensure accessibility, reliability, and safety. With more water available, healthcare workers do not have to ration water, worry about purchasing water with their limited funds, or make tough decisions about when to wash their hands or equipment.

Reliable, clean water ensures that healthcare workers have sufficient water so they can provide excellent patient care!

Our technical experts worked with the health center leadership and 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 two gravity-fed handwashing stations, 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 often 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 Care Staff and Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community'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. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community.

Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.

Project Updates


November, 2026: Nyaporo Dispensary Well Project Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Nyaporo Dispensary 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.

"Reliable access to clean water will improve patient care, support hygiene and sanitation practices, reduce the burden of sourcing water from elsewhere, and help us provide better health services to the community," said Nurse Beatrice Kweyu, 40.

"For my job as a nurse, access to clean water makes daily tasks much easier and more efficient. We no longer spend time worrying about water shortages, allowing us to focus more on patient care. Reliable water has also made maternity services safer and smoother, as clean water is always available during deliveries and the care of mothers and newborns. Overall, this water point has improved working conditions for staff and health outcomes for our patients," Beatrice continued.

Nurse Beatrice Kweyu.

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 government approval to begin drilling.

Groundbreaking.

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

"The community and health care facility staff actively participated throughout the project construction process. Community members contributed local materials, provided labor, cleared the site, and supported the construction team during drilling and installation activities. Health care workers and local leaders worked together to mobilize residents, oversee activities, and ensure the project was completed successfully. Their cooperation, commitment, and sense of ownership played a major role in the smooth implementation of the project," shared Field Officer Adelaide Nasimiyu.


Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 100 meters with a final static water level of 12 meters.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

Nurse Diana Mabiale.

"I believe this new water point will greatly enhance patient outcomes. A reliable supply of clean water will improve hygiene and sanitation at the facility, help prevent infections and support safe patient care, deliveries, and general treatment, [making them] safer and more effective. Ultimately, patients will receive better quality care in a cleaner and healthier environment," said Nurse Diana Mabiale, 37.

Improved Sanitation Facilities

This project funded the installation of modern sanitation facilities at the health center. Newly constructed latrines now serve both patients and staff, including a dedicated, accessible unit for people with disabilities. Each latrine is built with cement floors and walls, ensuring durability, easy cleaning, and low-maintenance upkeep.

To promote proper hygiene, sinks with running water were installed alongside the latrines, encouraging regular handwashing among patients, caregivers, and medical staff. Additionally, a biodigester system was introduced to manage waste sustainably. The biodigester uses natural bacteria to safely break down human waste, reducing environmental impact while supporting long-term waste management solutions.

The biodigester.

With these improvements, the health center is now better equipped to maintain high standards of hygiene and sanitation. Patients and healthcare workers alike benefit from safer, cleaner facilities, which directly support the prevention of disease transmission and the overall well-being of the community.

Community Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the health center staff. When the training day arrived, field officers Adelaide Nasimiyu, Mercy Wamalwa, and Elvine Atsieno were deployed to the site to lead the event. 64 people attended the 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.

"Some participants were initially resistant to adopting regular handwashing practices, as they felt it was time-consuming or unnecessary in certain situations. However, after discussions and demonstrations on how proper handwashing prevents diseases and protects families, many participants changed their minds. By the end of the training, they expressed a better understanding of its importance and willingness to practice and promote good hand hygiene in their households and the community," shared field officer Adelaide.

Ms. Sumba.

Pauline Sumba, 40, shared her experience in the training sessions. "This training has shown me that our community can greatly improve its health through simple hygiene practices. I now understand the importance of consistent handwashing, safe water handling, proper sanitation, and maintaining a clean environment. I believe that if we continue applying and sharing these lessons, we can reduce illnesses and create a healthier community."

Thank you for making all of this possible!


Update photo


September, 2026: Exciting Progress at Nyaporo Dispensary!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Nurse Lydia Olunga and the Nyaporo Dispensary. 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 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 the Nyaporo Dispensary!




Loading photos...


Project Type

A borehole well reaches clean water stored deep underground. We drill down through soil and rock to groundwater that natural layers have already filtered, then build a platform and fit a handpump so families can draw water up close to home. It is a safe, protected source that replaces long walks to open water, and with your partnership it is cared for long after it is installed.

Learn more about how we install a well here!


Contributors

Greenspark
12 individual donor(s)