May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Munyuni Community

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.

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 Munyuni, Kenya.

We trained community members 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.

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.

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.

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point,

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.

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.

November, 2019: Giving Update: Munyuni Community Hand-Dug Well

A year ago, your generous donation helped Munyuni Community in Kenya access clean water.

There’s an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Munyuni. Month after month, their giving supports ongoing sustainability programs that help this community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Read more…

May, 2019: Munyuni Community Hand-Dug Well Project Complete

Munyuni Community, Kenya now has a new water source thanks to your donation. A hand-dug well was constructed adjacent to a sand dam. Once it rains, the dam will build up sand that both stores and naturally filters water available at the hand-dug well. Community members also attended hygiene and sanitation training, and plan to share what they learned with their families and neighbors.

Hand-Dug Well

Construction for this hand-dug well was a success and water is now flowing.

"We are very impressed that the water point has already harnessed gallons of fresh water which will be used by the community members. As of now, the group members are already planning to conduct farm projects which will help us reap maximum benefits… We would like to express immense gratitude towards the construction of the project in our community," said Mary Samson.

"The distance we covered initially has reduced tremendously and less time is expended on fetching water."

The Process:

We delivered the experts and materials, but the community helped get an extraordinary amount of work done. They collected local materials to supplement the project, including sand, stones, and water.

A hole seven feet in diameter is excavated up to a recommended depth of 25 feet. (Most hand-dug wells don’t reach that depth due to the existence of hard rocks between 10-18 ft.). The diameter then shrinks to five feet when construction of the hand-dug well lining is completed. This lining is made of brick and mortar with perforations to allow for water to seep through.

Excavation progress

The well lining drying before the installation of the concrete slab

Once the construction of the lining is level with the top of the dam, a precast concrete slab is built on top and joined to the wall using mortar. Four bolts for the hand-pump are fixed on the slab during casting. The concrete needs to dry over the course of two weeks before the pump is installed.

The mechanics arrive to install the pump as community members watch, learning how to manage simple maintenance tasks for themselves.

The well is then given another few days after installing the pump to allow the joints to completely dry.

The pump was installed level with the top of the sand dam because as the dam matures, sand will amass until it reaches the top of the platform. Once it rains, this sand behind the dam wall will store and filter the water to be accessed through this hand-dug well.

In fact, the sand dam has already stored water that’s currently being enjoyed by the community!

New Knowledge

Our training officer worked with the team to arrange for a three-day Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) training. This kind of training helps identify existing health issues and the bad practices causing them so that the community can brainstorm potential solutions. Once they agree, they’re in a good place to draft an action plan to see these new practices adopted in each household.

The participation level of the community members was very high as they were very active throughout the training. There were many questions asked, which was a clear indication that the attendees were interested in the topics. Men were more active than women, and were always eager to volunteer for demonstrations. Additionally, they portrayed the zeal to learn as they kept requesting for an extension of the training.

There were several topics covered over the three days, not limited to:

– mapping the community

A part of mapping the community was actually getting up from our seats and touring Munyuni. People identified the places where there’s the most activity, along with areas where people are going to the bathroom. We stopped at these areas and discussed how open defecation is contaminating water sources, food, and many other things. This was a very impactful activity because everyone realized how their drinking water gets contaminated and why they’re getting sick.

– calculating the cost of a good latrine vs. the cost of treating diseases that result from improper waste disposal
– how germs spread
– choosing the barriers
– action plan
– electing a sanitation committee
– how to make soap

Mixing soap

– how to make a tippy tap handwashing station

The following is 60-year-old Mary Samson’s testimonial about what she learned:

This training has been very inspirational and growth-enhancing to us. We have learned a lot about hygiene and sanitation and we intend to adopt all the new things we were taught. It’s vital for every homestead to have a functional latrine, to protect our water sources, and to care for our health by treating water – this saves us the money that would be used on treatment.

The CLTS training has also enlightened us on effective ways of preventing the spread of diseases, thus reducing the death rates that are heightened by waterborne diseases. Poverty rates will also reduce as the money spent on treatment at hospitals will be channeled to other income-generating projects. It has been a very beneficial training and I am personally very grateful for it. I will construct a latrine in my compound but near the roadside so that passers-by can utilize it to avoid open defecation.

The entire group was inspired by Mary’s willingness to construct a public latrine by the road, and has vowed to support her as she does so.

Thank You for making all of this possible!

April, 2019: Munyuni Community Hand-Dug Well Project Underway

Severe water shortage affects hundreds of people living in Munyuni Community, Kenya. Thanks to your generosity, we are bringing a hand-dug well close to hundreds of people who walk miles for water - and that water isn't even clean.

Get to know this community through the narrative and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation and hygiene project. Since the adjacent sand dam is already complete, this hand-dug well should be completed very soon! We look forward to reaching out again with news of success.