Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 133 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Oct 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/05/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the Community

This unprotected spring is located in Emmachembe Village, Shikoti location in East Butsotso sub-location within Lurambi Constituency of Kakamega County. The spring is serving a total number of 19 households, totaling 133 community members.

Saul Shivogo Spring is named after its landowner. Mr. Shivogo is friendly and allows his neighbors to benefit from the spring that bubbles up from his land. Take a look at the pictures under "See Photos & Video" tab to find Mr. Saul Shivogo and his wife.

The people using this water are small scale farmers that specialize in growing sugarcane. If not a farmer, the men of the family learn how to make bricks. Whether a farmer or brick maker, everyone wakes up early here; starting with domestic chores around the house and then leaving to earn a living.

Saul Shivogo's community heard about the project implemented at Peter Spring, and immediately paid them a visit to see the work in person. They were impressed with the knowledge of people around Peter Spring, and were impressed with the construction itself. After this visit, they called our staff to invite them to assess their own community's need. Below are the details of our visit.

Water Situation

Saying a spring is unprotected means its water is open to contamination. When we visited the spring in person, we observed proximate latrines, proximate farming, and open defecation. Waste and farming chemicals are washed into the water when it rains! Besides this, animals roam freely and also drink from the water. Community members don't know how to fetch, transport or store their water properly. A container for scooping water floats in the spring when nobody is using it, which also contributes to contamination.

Due to the great number of people drawing water from the spring for domestic use, the water is most often contaminated by human activity. The process of fetching water often wastes a lot of time for women and children who must wait for the water to clear before fetching again. This wasted time could otherwise be used for more profitable economical activities on the farm.

Women and children are primarily responsible for fetching water. Children use lighter containers such as 10-liter jerrycans, and women graduate to 20 liters. Most of these are not covered, so water is open to more contamination on the trip home. Once home, water is kept in these jerrycans until another trip is needed. Before water is consumed, it is boiled. However, cases of typhoid and dysentery are rampant. Community members must then spend their hard-earned money on medical treatment instead of putting it towards education and improved living.

Sanitation Situation

Under 25% of households that use Saul Shivogo Spring have pit latrines. These few latrines are made of mud and are roofed with iron sheets and grass. Few of these have doors, and all are in poor condition. We observed that since so few families have latrines, open defecation is a huge problem here. Eliminating open defecation will be a strong focus during hygiene and sanitation training.

We couldn't find any hand-washing stations, nor did we see many clotheslines or dish racks. Garbage is taken to the edge of the plantation and is piled for either burning or composting.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training and Sanitation Platforms

Community members will attend hygiene and sanitation training for at least three days. This training will ensure participants are no longer ignorant about healthy practices and their importance. The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation), CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation), ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring. On the final day of training, participants will select five families that should benefit from new latrines that have sanitation platforms (concrete pit latrine floors).

Based on the initial visit, the facilitator decided to focus on the following training topics:

  • Proper handling and treatment of water and food
  • Dangers of open defecation
  • Protecting, preserving, and managing community water sources
  • Practicing personal and environmental hygiene

Training will also inform the community and selected families on what they can do to help make this project a success. They will mobilize local materials such as bricks, clean sand, hardcore, and ballast. The five selected families will also prepare by sinking a pit for sanitation platforms to be placed over. All community members will work together to make sure that accommodations and food are always provided for the work teams.

Plans: Spring Protection

When Saul Shivogo Spring is protected, community members will be able to spend valuable time that was previously wasted on more constructive activities. Water-related diseases and other infectious diseases that plague the community have resulted in members spending a lot of money on medication; sickness also contributes to a high rate of absenteeism in the local school, resulting in poor academic performance.

Protecting the spring will ensure that the water is safe, adequate and secure. Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water. The sanitation facilities and trainings will also enable, enlighten and build the capacity of the community so that they can take matters into their own hands.

Project Updates


July, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Emmachembe Community, Saul Shivogo Spring

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

Trainer fills the tippy tap handwashing station that was built at training with clean spring water for handwashing

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Emmachembe, Kenya.

We trained more than 15 people on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19. Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

Everyone practices the 10 steps of handwashing

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

Handwashing with soap and water

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

Homemade mask tutorial using a cloth scrap from home

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point, along with a sign with reminders of what we covered.

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

Trainers distribute COVID-19 informational pamphlets

Spring landowner Mr. Saul Shivogo encouraged his fellow community members to go home and make face masks in addition to improvising handwashing facilities to help in the fight against the coronavirus.

We continue to stay in touch with this community as the pandemic progresses. We want to ensure their water point remains functional and their community stays informed about the virus.

Reviewing the prevention reminders chart before installing it at the spring

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




December, 2017: A Year Later: Shivogo Spring

A year ago, generous donors helped build a spring protection and sanitation platforms with the community near Saul Shivogo Spring in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner, Betty Muhongo Majani, with you.




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!


A Year Later: Saul Shivogo Spring

November, 2017

There has been no report on water borne diseases which has contributed to members doing other development activities instead of spending a lot of money on medication. Truth be told, protection of this spring has united many families because they meet on monthly basis to discuss issues to do with spring and their families too.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Emmachembe Community 2.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Emmachembe Community 2 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!

A year ago, generous donors helped build a spring protection and sanitation platforms with the community near Saul Shivogo Spring in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner, Betty Muhongo Majani, with you.

The spring protection is already making a huge difference in the lives of those living nearby. In fact, the number of households drawing water from it has increased from 19 to 22 because of the facilities and training.

“Sanitation has generally improved,” says Saul Shivogo, chairperson and land owner of whom the spring is named after. “When we pass homes, we are able to see a number of sanitation facilities like dish rack, clothesline, and children washing their hands after using the toilet. This clearly indicates they took seriously what they learned during the Water Sanitation Management Committee and Community Health Workers training.

“Before the spring was protected, the women and children wasted time while waiting for the queue to clear before fetching again,” explains 12-year-old Christopher Were. “But, at the moment, members take the shortest time possible and we now have time to do our homework.”

Mr. Saul also stated that since the spring was protected, there has been no report on water borne diseases which has contributed to members doing other development activities instead of spending a lot of money on medication. Truth be told, protection of this spring has united many families because they meet on monthly basis to discuss issues to do with spring and their families too.

The Water Project and our partners are committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by monthly donors, allows us to visit communities up to 4 times a year. Read more about our program and how you can help.


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 Emmachembe Community 2 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 Emmachembe Community 2 – 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