Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2019

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/12/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Munyuni Village is in Mwingi, which is more than 300 kilometers away from our office. Based on the distance involved, we had to spend the night at Mwingi Town and wake up early in the morning to visit Munyuni. It is found in a peaceful, rural setting with steep slopes and narrow footpaths. The area is very dry with sparse vegetation. Most of the locals have built houses made of bricks and iron sheets.

The people of Munyuni depend on open, dirty water sources to meet their drinking, cooking, and cleaning needs. They have to walk long distances to the Ikuyuni River, so most families have invested in donkeys. The river appears dry at first glance, but people dig holes in the sandy riverbed until water fills the bottom. These holes are left open overnight and sate the thirst of wild animals, too.

The community population of 689 is too high for such little water, so the riverbed is often overcrowded. The seasonal nature of the scoop holes means water sometimes gets used up by the end of the day, forcing locals to wake up early in the morning so as to get enough water.

"We have suffered for many years as residents of Munyuni Village because of perennial water shortages. The available water is from river scoop holes and is sometimes colored which has led to many cases of stomach problems being reported by locals after using the water. As a community, we have been brought together by water challenges and are now ready to bring our unity of strength by working together in implementing water projects in our village," said Nziu Munyu Self-Help Group member Angelina Nzuna.

Community members practice a variety of activities to sustain their families. Men are the main family workforce in bringing food to the table. 81% of people in this community depend on casual labor, 14% on farming, and 5% on business activities to earn money.

The community also needs support for personal hygiene and household cleanliness. Though the severe water shortage forces people to sacrifice when it comes to cleaning, there is also a need for new knowledge and other tools for people to stay healthy. Not every family has a pit latrine, and only a few have handwashing stations.

"Our levels of hygiene and sanitation in Munyuni Village are below average because we lack enough water supply. This makes our efforts to keep high levels of cleanliness difficult," continued Mrs. Nzuna.

"By working together on community water projects, we hope to collectively work on the projects and bring water close to everyone in our locality, which will contribute towards improved levels of hygiene and sanitation."

What we can do:

Our main entry point into Munyuni Community has been the Nziu Munyu Self-Help Group, which is comprised of local farming households that are working together to address water and food scarcity in their region. These members will be our hands and feet in both constructing water projects and spreading the message of good hygiene and sanitation to everyone.

Training

Our trainers visited households when they were in Munyuni to interview family members and observe their environment. These visits help our trainers build a pertinent training schedule for this community.

A variety of activities are planned that will get participants involved in learning about the importance of latrines, handwashing stations, dish racks, and water treatment.

Hand-Dug Well

This particular hand-dug well is being built adjacent to this group’s ongoing sand dam project (click here to see), which will supply clean drinking water once it rains. We have supplied the group with the tools needed for excavation. With the guidance of our artisans and mechanics, the excavated well will be cased, sealed with a well pad, and then finished with a new AfriDev pump.

Excavation takes a month or more on average, depending on the nature of the rock beneath. Construction of the well lining and installation of the pump takes 12 days maximum. The well will be lined with a concrete wall including perforations so that once it rains, water will filter in from the sand dam.

This well will be located in Munyuni Village and will bring clean water closer to families having to walk long distances for their water.

Project Updates


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.




Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.


Giving Update: Munyuni Community Hand-Dug Well

October, 2019

A year ago, your generous donation helped Munyuni Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Sarah Kavungwa. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Munyuni Community 1B.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Munyuni Community 1B 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!

People in Munyuni community are enjoying an unlimited clean water supply from the sand dam and hand-dug well constructed a year ago. Locals no longer walk for more than 3 kilometers with donkeys to neighboring Ilalambyu in search of water for household use.

"We are no longer walking for long distances in search of water for use in our homes since the water project has been providing us with clean drinking water. This water point is the main provider of water in the whole village currently and we are happy to have it," said Pauline Musingo.

The water project holds huge amounts of water and the locals are very happy accessing water from the facility with much ease as compared to the past.

"Fetching water has now become easier for the last year since the water point is found within the village at a stone's throw distance. The unlimited availability of clean water from the water project has solved most of the water-related challenges experienced in our locality," said Sarah Kuvungwa, a local farmer who uses the water point.

"We are planning to establish more tree nurseries using the available water and nurture many tree seedlings for planting in the oncoming rainy season."

The self-help group that constructed the dam and well are charging a fee for collecting water, which is helping them grow the financial ability of their group. Livestock within the community are healthier since they can easily access water from the village after grazing in the fields.

Community members have had more time available to pursue personal activities as they are no longer spending much of their time looking for water which is now always available from the water project.


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 Munyuni Community 1B 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 Munyuni Community 1B – 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.