October, 2023: Kithalani Community Hand-Dug Well Complete!

Thanks to your donation, Kithalani Community, Kenya, now has a new water source! We constructed a new hand-dug well adjacent to a new sand dam on the riverbed. The sand dam will build up sand to raise the water table and naturally filter water, while the well will provide a safer method of drawing drinking water for the community.

It could take up to three years of rain for this sand dam to reach maximum capacity because sometimes it only rains once a year in this region! As the sand dam matures and stores more sand, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile, and the well will fill with water.

"Water was very scarce in the past, and I would walk the goats and cattle for more than three kilometers to drink water. During the dry periods, I had to purchase water at 20 Kenyan shillings per 20-liter jerrycan, which is very expensive considering that I depend on farming, which is severely affected by drought. Now things will change because this water point is close to my home. The cattle and goats will have enough water to drink, and I will no longer need to purchase water," said 25-year-old farmer Sammy Kimanzi.

Sammy (center) at the well with other community members collecting water.

"Since this water point is close to my home, I am planning to set up a vegetable farm near the water point, and I will be selling the produce to my fellow community members while keeping some for subsistence use. Livestock will also have better health and subsequently offer better yields because they will no longer spend much energy walking to drink water from distant sources. We will also be selling this water to fellow community members at a reasonable price to acquire funds for our self-help group that would be used to improve the livelihood of each member. For instance, that money could be used as loans for the members to offset school fees or purchase farm inputs," concluded Sammy.

Hand-Dug Well Construction Process

Construction for this well was a success!

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. When all the materials were ready, it was time to dig in!

First, we excavated a hole seven feet in diameter up to the recommended depth of 25 feet. (Most hand-dug wells do not reach that depth due to hard rocks between 10-18 feet.) The diameter shrank to 5 feet as planned when the well-lining was complete. This lining is made of brick and mortar with perforations to allow water to seep through. When the well is finished, sand builds up around its walls, filtering the rainwater stored behind the dam.

Once the lining reached ground level, we laid a precast concrete slab on top of the lining and joined it to the wall using mortar. The concrete dried for two weeks before installation. We fixed four bolts onto the slab during casting in preparation for the hand pump's installation.

Next, the mechanics arrived to install the pump as community members watched, learning how to manage simple maintenance tasks. We installed the pump level with the top of the sand dam. As the dam matures, sand will build up to the top of the wall. Until then, people will use concrete steps to get their water. After installing the pump, we gave the well another few days to let the joints dry.

We worked with the Kwa Kisukio Muthini Self-Help Group for this project. The members and their families contributed tremendous amounts of materials and physical labor.

New Knowledge

Our trainer conferred with the field staff about previous household visits and interviews with community members to determine which topics the community could improve upon.

We trained the group on various skills, including bookkeeping, financial management, project management, group dynamics, and governance. We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training to teach skills like soap- and detergent-making and improve behaviors such as handwashing.

We also touched on health problems in the community, good and bad hygiene behaviors, the spread and prevention of disease, and sanitation improvements. We covered natural resource management and the operations and maintenance of the sand dam.

One of the highlights of the training was observing how well the participants understood the need for homes in their community to each have a latrine to help improve the overall hygiene and sanitation of the community. While the group was doing community mapping, where they identified the assets in their community, a discussion broke out about whether a particular homestead in the community had a latrine. One of the participants offered to visit the homestead the following morning to assess the situation. She gladly returned to the group the following morning to report that the homestead had a latrine.

Participants learn how to make soap.

"This training will have a positive effect in the lives of all the members of this group because of several reasons. One, it has practically shown us the importance of having and using latrines together with handwashing. This will help us in [the] prevention and control of fecal-oral route disease transmission. We know the importance of maintaining good personal hygiene, like brushing [our] teeth, keeping short nails, [and] sleeping in a clean bed, among other activities. Being enlightened on water treatment is another special activity that will be very useful in our lives. Treating water will allow us [to] stay healthy, away from waterborne diseases," said 69-year-old Francis Muli.

Francis.

"We've also learned that it's important to eat healthy. This training has shown us the different types of foods that we can source locally because we have them. This will also keep us healthy, boost our immunity, and be free of diseases. The new skills learned in soap and disinfectant making will help us reduce the cost of living. This is because the money that we've been using to buy expensive soap will now be used to buy the soap that we will be making at a cheaper price, and again, at a personal level, as well as a group, we will generate income," concluded Francis.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. When an issue arises concerning the well, 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 local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we're working toward complete coverage. That means reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!

August, 2023: Kithalani Community 3B Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Kithalani Community 3B costs people time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!