Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2019

Functionality Status:  Current Monitoring Data Delayed

Last Checkup: 03/11/2023

Project Features


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We partner with Kwa Mbunza Self-Help Group (SHG) to bring adequate water near to families living in the Mwingi region. Kwa Mbunza SHG is thrilled to have installed their first sand dam and hand-dug well last year in Ikuusya Village.

This type of intervention helps people to improve their lives. Unpredictable rainfall patterns have made it impossible to guarantee water for communities all year round, as most rivers in Southeastern Kenya are seasonal. Sand dams harvest rainwater where it falls, making it available at the hand-dug well for the community to use until their next rain season.

Since each region is so expansive, we implement multiple systems over the course of five years to provide enough nearby water for everyone. More than 50% of the 2,008 people living in this part of Mwingi still have to walk up to six kilometers to find water.

These hardworking farmers that form the Kwa Mbunza SHG want to bring water closer to hundreds of their neighbors living in Kathamba Ngii Village.

Welcome to the Community

Kathamba Ngii Community does not yet have a source of clean water. There are three ways to get water: put out buckets when it rains (it rarely does), purchase expensive bottled water, or dig deep holes in dry, sandy riverbeds until water starts pooling. For a community that lives to get through each day, buying water isn't really an option.

So, the main water source in this area is a "scoop hole." Digging until water is found is the most consistent and affordable way to get what's needed for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and watering crops and animals. These scoop holes do not provide water that is safe for human consumption since it is exposed to many contaminants. But even these scoop holes dry up when it doesn't rain for a couple of months, making the situation dire. Women walk several more kilometers to find enough water for their families to drink.

"Lack of enough clean water supply has affected us so much as women of this area. We are traditionally required to get enough water for the family, so we have endured traveling long distances on the road and spending nights in rivers looking for water," said Mrs. Ndunge Munywoki.

"We are committed to working on sand dams and shallow wells as they are immediate water solution projects in our community."

In fact, the group is so excited about this opportunity that they have already started delivering stones to the potential construction site.

What we can do:

Training

Kwa Mbunza Self-Help Group attended training sessions in Ikuusya last year. These taught about important hygiene practices and daily habits to establish in their homes. Taking good care of themselves and their environment will make for a healthy community. There has been progress, but another training will be held to ensure continued improvement. This upcoming training will give people living in Kathamba Ngii Village a chance to learn, too.

"We are not better off in terms of our hygiene and sanitation. However, we are working hard to keep on improving our standards so as to lead to more decent lifestyles and prevent disease attacks. By working on water projects and bring water close to everyone, we believe that we will improve our living standards in terms of hygiene and sanitation," said Mrs. Mwikali Maluki.

Current Sanitation Facility Coverage:

Latrines 99%
Handwashing Stations 50%
Clotheslines 100%
Dish Racks 50%
Bathing Area 70%
Animal Enclosure 90%
Proper Garbage Disposal 70%

And though most families have a good pit latrine, they need to clean them more often. Latrines were found to be below average, while some owners admitted to not ever cleaning them. Upcoming training sessions will strengthen weaknesses and continue encouraging each family that making the extra effort to clean homes, bathe, wash hands, and treat water is well worth it!

Hand-Dug Well

This particular hand-dug well will be built adjacent to Kwa Mbunza SHG'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 Kathamba Ngii Village and will bring clean water closer to families in Mwingi that have to walk long distances for water.

Project Updates


July, 2020: Through Their Eyes: COVID-19 Chronicles with Tabitha Mutheke

This post is part of a new series by The Water Project meant to highlight the perspectives and experiences of the people we serve and how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting them. We invite you to read more of their stories here.

"Having a sand dam and shallow well in our locality are helpful to us in this time of a global pandemic. It requires communities have access to water and practice good hygiene," said Tabitha Mutheke, a 46-year-old mother of 5 children we met during a recent visit to Kathamba Ngii Community.

"The wells have been providing unlimited clean water access to all of us, which is making it possible for regular hand washing all the time as a way of protecting ourselves from the coronavirus."

Tabitha Mutheke

The Water Project continues to support communities and water points through the COVID-19 pandemic. We are training community members on steps to prevent the spread of the virus, and what people can do if someone gets sick. We are also speaking with community members to hear how their lives are affected by the pandemic.

While in Kathamba Ngii, we spoke with Tabitha. She said she is not working right now since the markets are closed. Normally, she sells clothing at the weekly markets in the area. Also, all of her children are home because the Kenyan schools were closed in April and will remain closed through the end of 2020.

Tabitha Mutheke participates in social distancing exercise.

"Access to enough basic food items has changed because I am no longer earning income through my normal business activities. I am no longer able to afford enough food items for my children, and we are mostly surviving on poor diets through the available food items from my small farm," she shared.

An estimated 1 million Kenyans are out of work since the start of the pandemic - many of whom are small business owners and market sellers like Tabitha. Fortunately, people living here, including Tabitha, have access to a reliable water source through the well and sand dam they constructed last year. The water is helping keep Tabitha and her family safe. And it provides water that she uses for her farm to grow food that she can feed her family and potentially sell to other community members.

"Access to water in this time of coronavirus is easy since the water is found right in the village. This has helped limit interactions with people from far areas while also providing water round the clock," she said.

We continue to monitor and support the well and dam in Kathamba Ngii so that the people living here do not have to worry about water access, especially during a time of increased stress. Go here to learn more about how The Water Project is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.




May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Kathamba Ngii 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 Kathamba Ngii, 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.




June, 2019: Kathamba Ngii Community Well Complete

Kathamba Ngii Community, Kenya now has a new source of water thanks to your donation. A hand-dug well was constructed adjacent to a sand dam (go here to check it out). The dam was constructed on the riverbed, which will build up sand to raise the water table and naturally filter water. Recent rains have helped the dam begin to build up sand and store water.

It could take up to three years of rain (because sometimes it only rains once a year!) for this sand dam to reach maximum capacity. As the sand dam matures and stores more sand, a supply of water will be available for drinking from the well. With this water, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile.

We look forward to reaching out again with more pictures when this hand-dug well has water.


Construction for this well was a success!

We worked with the Kwa Mbunza Self-Help Group for this project. The members and their families contributed materials and physical labor to complete the projects. In addition, they were trained on various skills such as bookkeeping, financial management, project management, and group dynamics/governance.

"This water project will go a long way towards improving water access in our village and in this locality at large," said Mwikali Maluki.

"It was not an easy task. With determination and commitment, we have made it since we all know the importance and relevance of this water point to the community."

When an issue arises in relation to the water project, the group members are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure it works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact their field officer to assist them.

Hand-Dug Well Construction Process

We delivered the experts, materials, and tools, but the community helped get an extraordinary amount of work done too. 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 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. Sand builds up around the well walls, which will naturally filter the rainwater that’s stored behind the dam.

Once the construction of the lining reaches ground level, a precast concrete slab is laid 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 builds up to the top of the wall. Until then, people will climb the concrete steps to get their water.

Renewed Knowledge

The field officer in charge of Waita region, Austin Mumo, mobilized the group members for the hygiene and sanitation training. This is the second project with the self-help group so the focus of the training was to both refresh lessons learned and focus on areas that are in need of improvement. Austin met with the group and agreed on a suitable date. All community members were invited for the training.

The attendance on the days of the training was as expected. Even a village elder and a community health worker attended. All members present showed attention to the details of the training. They also participated actively by asking questions and providing their personal experiences.

A gap was identified during a follow-up visit where it was observed that only five members out of the 15 members were treating their drinking water. Due to this gap, the members were taken through various methods of water treatment and water hygiene.

After the training, the members were very happy to learn how to treat their drinking water and promised to embrace the practice.

"We have also learned about how we get sick by drinking contaminated water and from today we will treat our drinking water," said Kasyoka Muthui, a member of the group.

One member was randomly picked to demonstrate on how to wash hands. He then demonstrated on the procedure and got some corrections from the rest of the members. Seeing the members correct each other was very interesting. The members were also taken through the critical moments to wash hands.

"The training has reminded us on many things which we had forgotten. We will have good health and our families will be free from sicknesses," Mwikali Kimwele said.

"The soapmaking training will help us to improve our hygiene and sanitation. We will no longer buy poor quality soap from the market since we will be making our own quality soap."

The training was successful and there were no challenges. The members of this group are committed to improving their hygiene and sanitation. This training will help them to achieve changes in hygiene and sanitation.

Thank You for making all of this possible.




April, 2019: Kathamba Ngii Community Hand-Dug Well Underway

People living in Kathamba Ngii currently have to walk quite a ways to find water, and that water isn’t even clean. Thanks to your generosity, we are working to excavate a hand-dug well next to a sand dam that will bring water closer to home for hundreds of people.

Get to know this community by reading the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read more about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project and how it works. We look forward to reaching out again when we have more news!




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: Kathamba Ngii Community

February, 2021

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kathamba Ngii Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Beatrice Mwaiali. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kathamba Ngii 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!

A walk around the Kathamba Ngii community a year after its sand dam and shallow well were completed presented a picture of a bumper harvest from the community member's farmlands. This is attributed to the reduction of time spent in pursuit of water thus increasing the time spent on personal farms thus the increased yields.

"Getting water in our village was not easy. All the community members flocked in our first shallow well. It was always crowded, which stretched its capacity beyond limits leading to water levels getting low at certain times of the year. Others would opt for river scoop holes as their source of water," said Mwikali Kimwele, a farmer who lives near the well.

"Water is now more readily available within our community. This shallow well has reduced the strain on the first water point. I can walk to the shallow well with my children, draw water, and carry it back home on our backs because it is near my home. Having water from such a nearby place is encouraging me to start more fruit trees growing."

Mwikali Kimwele

Community members have also adopted a tree planting culture with many people planting trees and using available water resources for irrigation. The immediate environment also looks green and more beautiful, reported our teams.

"This water point has increased water availability in our village, there is more diversity as people can choose on which well to get their water," shared Beatrice Mwaiali.

Beatrice Mwikali

"We are now able to draw water more easily and get back home on time which creates room for engaging in other activities. I have been able to start a small kitchen garden through irrigation using water 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 Kathamba Ngii 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 Kathamba Ngii 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.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - Barbara Belle Ash Dougan Foundation