Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 444 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Dec 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/18/2024

Project Features


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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 School

Khumuseno Primary School was founded in the year 2008 by community members who fundraised for the land where the school is now built. The school is located in Khumuseno Village, Mwitako sub-location, Mukhalakhala location, Mwibona Ward, Luanda Sub-County of Vihiga County. The school has a population of 203 boys, 230 girls, three male teachers and six female teachers. The school also employs one cook and one security guard.

This is an impoverished yet growing school, since many local parents view their children's education as a chance to lift them out of poverty. The school has a lot of land, but not enough classrooms for its high enrollment. Since they are poor, they don't have the finances needed to build additional classrooms. The head teacher says, "The pupils congest in classes making many of them not fully getting the required attention from the teachers, especially low achievers. Also, due to this issue, quick spread of airborne diseases like the flu and tuberculosis is rampant."

A normal day has students waking up by 6am to walk to school, carrying water in a five-liter jerrycan with which to clean their classrooms. After cleaning, they start with morning exercises for a half hour until teachers call them in for lessons. The lessons begin exactly at 8am and go to 10am. They get a short break to use the latrines and then return for lessons until lunch. Lunch is one hour until the lessons begin again at 2pm. Class is out at 3:45pm, when students get to play games and sports together until they wait for a 5pm release.

Water Situation

There is no source of water on the school campus. Since students carry water from several different locations, it's hard to determine whether or not it is safe for consumption. The water brought from home is normally used for cleaning first, anyways. When that water is used up, teachers send students out to fetch more water. There are two sources students resort to: a nearby river that flows by a local university, or a protected spring that is over one kilometer away. Since the nearby river flows through so much activity, both solid and liquid waste has been observed in its waters. Students often prefer to walk a shorter distance to get water, but that water often causes them to suffer from typhoid and cholera. When their health suffers, academic performance suffers. If a student opts to fetch water from the faraway source, they sacrifice more of their study time, which also negatively impacts school performance!

Sanitation Situation

The school has eight doors of pit latrines: two for teachers and support staff, three for boys and three for girls. This does not meet the UNICEF recommendation of one door for every 30 boys and one for every 25 girls. Pupils have to form long lines during their breaks to wait, while others, especially the girls, end up abandoning the line and relieving themselves outside those latrines. Khumuseno Primary School needs extra pit latrines to serve their large student population.

The school compound is filthy with no clear waste disposal system, a clear sign that training on hygiene and sanitation will be very helpful for them. Furthermore, the headteacher welcomed our project and agreed to mobilize parents to help gather local materials like sand and rock to construct new latrines and the rainwater catchment tank. This institution is also in desperate need of hand-washing facilities so that students can wash their hands after using the latrine. Everybody runs straight from the latrine back to class! The two hand-washing stations we plan to deliver will be of good use.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Parents, teachers, and students will be trained through two days of sessions on hygiene and sanitation.

This training is meant to equip participants with the skills needed to practice good hygiene, and to promote these practices among peers and the greater community. The end goal is to eliminate water and hygiene-related diseases!

The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Training), CTC (child to child), discussions, lectures, and demonstrations to teach topics including but not limited to disease transmission, hand-washing, and water treatment. The CTC method will prepare students to lead other students into healthy habits, as well as kickstart a CTC club for the school.

Plans: Rainwater Catchment Tank

A 30,000-liter rainwater catchment tank will be constructed on school grounds. Teachers, students, and parents will gather the local materials needed for this project, including sand, ballast, bricks, and hardcore. This contribution will fuel a sense of responsibility for the school and community to take care of their new facilities. Once materials are mobilized, the WEWASAFO team will arrive to lead the construction effort.

Plans: VIP Latrines

Two triple-door latrines will be constructed, providing three new latrines for each gender. Latrine materials will be mobilized the same way as the tank, ensuring the school feels these facilities are truly theirs.

New latrines will reduce the waiting time that is a huge strain on the large student body and thus reduce the rate of open defecation.

Plans: Hand-Washing Stations

Two hand-washing stations will be delivered to the school. These come in the form of two 60-liter containers fitted with a tap. Students will be taught how to properly wash hands, and each student will have a chance to practice in groups. The CTC club will be responsible for filling the hand-washing containers on a daily basis.

The actions described above will give students an environment that is conducive to learning. This is an opportunity they deserve!

Project Updates


December, 2017: A Year Later: Khumuseno Primary School

A year ago, generous donors helped build a rainwater catchment system and latrines for Khumuseno Primary School in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners can 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, Wilson Kipchoge, with you.




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: Khumeseno Primary School

November, 2017

The available safe, clean water from the tank is being utilized properly by the school. They are careful never to waste even a drop as they know the pain of lack of water like their previous state. The compound is becoming greener each passing day due to daily watering of flowers and young trees planted by the pupils.

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Khumuseno 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!

A year ago, generous donors helped build a rainwater catchment system and latrines for Khumuseno Primary School in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners can 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, Wilson Kipchoge, with you.

The students and staff are now using safe, clean water from the tank on the school compound unlike the previous situation where the pupils were forced to carry water daily which is a burden.

Head teacher Pauline Komba shared how things have changed since the rainwater tank was completed last year. “Since last year, we have been able to have our own water with us here at school. The water tank has greatly helped us in terms of time management and accessing safe water for drinking, cooking and general cleaning. The new latrines have eased congestion and mix up during break times as the previous latrines were shared where the boys could use rear doors while the girls use front doors.”

"I enjoy drinking safe water from the tank unlike before when I used to drink contaminated water from our home,” shares 11-year-old Emmanuel Omatela. “I spend many hours of my time studying which used to be wasted going to the river. Academically, my performance is going up because the new latrines are reducing congestion.”

The available safe, clean water from the tank is being utilized properly by the school. They are careful never to waste even a drop as they know the pain of lack of water like their previous state. The compound is becoming greener each passing day due to daily watering of flowers and young trees planted by the pupils.

Treatment of water should always be closely monitored to ensure that no room is left for any issue relating to water may arise and thus maintain the security of water. Regular monitoring and evaluation by the staff will help in identifying any problem relating to the water project and recommend intervention.

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 Khumuseno 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 Khumuseno 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

1 individual donor(s)