June, 2022: St. Joseph Lunyu Primary School Borehole Well Complete!

We are excited to share that St. Joseph Lunyu Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new, safe, clean water source thanks to the completion of their new borehole well! Students and staff are already using the well’s flowing water, which will provide them with a reliable source of water for all of their daily needs.

We also installed new latrines and handwashing stations and trained students and staff on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Happy girls fetch water.

12-year-old Gloria explained how the water situation has changed drastically for her.

"I will be able to drink clean water when in school, since previously we used to drink water from the school hand-dug well which was dug a long time ago and the water was not always safe for drinking," Gloria said.

"[Also, I] will ensure that I, together with my classmates, clean our classrooms so that we receive an award for the [most] well-maintained class in terms of hygiene."

Gloria splashes water at the new well.

Now, Gloria has her eye on high exam scores. "I will be able to clean the clothes I use during the practical [exam]s on a regular basis, thus improving my performance since [I] will be so comfortable."

Teachers were just as excited as the students about the new well on campus.

The school's deputy headteacher, Meshack Imbuso, doesn't have a reliable water source where he lives at home, so the new borehole will help boost his own health and hydration.

"I am assured of [drinking] clean and safe water, so it will keep me healthy, hence avoiding contracting waterborne diseases like cholera," Meshack said. "The food we eat in school will now be prepared using the clean water, thus there is an assurance that I will be consuming healthy and well-made food."

Meshack Imbuso on school grounds.

"There will be [an] easily accessible and reliable water source, since the water body we used to send students to collect water [from] was located far [away], and sometimes it could dry up. We are sure that will be able to access [the borehole well] anytime."

The school's staff and students have exciting plans for the water beyond just drinking and hygiene.

"We will venture into some agriculture projects like planting vegetables, onions and fruits," Meshack said. "Also, in the future, [we] plan to keep a dairy animal that will provide milk for the school."

How We Got the Water Flowing

Parents, staff, and students all played a part in this well’s success. After determining the best site for the well through a hydrogeological survey, we obtained approval and a license from the government to begin drilling.

Community members mix cement to aid construction.

To prepare, the school collected fine sand and water for cement-making. When everything was ready, our drill team and staff arrived at the school to begin work.

Drilling commenced with excitement in the air. The team drove down a temporary casing to keep the walls from collapsing as the rig progressed. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 130 meters with a final static water level of three meters.

The drilling process can take up to three consecutive days to complete due to this region’s hard bedrock, so the drill team set up a camp where they could rest and refuel. The school’s kitchen staff and parents helped provide meals for the team, while the school provided a safe place for the artisans’ accommodations and materials.

People of all ages came to watch the well’s progress.

Once we reached the required depth, the team replaced the temporary casing with a permanent version, then bailed out the dirty water at the bottom of the well. The workers installed pipes, flushed them, tested the well’s yield, and chlorinated the water.

Testing the well.

After water treatment, we constructed a cement well pad to seal off the well from any ground-level contaminants. Tiles are installed beneath the spout to protect the cement from the erosive force of the water.

We also included a short drainage channel to carry spilled water away from the pump and prevent standing water. A soak pit absorbs runoff at the end of the drainage channel, further eliminating any stagnant water.

When the well pad was dry, we installed a new stainless steel AfriDev handpump and sampled the water for a quality test. The results showed this water was safe for drinking!

When the students and teachers arrived back at school, their enthusiasm for this much-anticipated project was overwhelming. We officially handed over the new borehole to the school.

VIP Latrines

Girls jump for joy at having new latrines.

This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines: three for the girls and three for the boys. These new latrines have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean, locking doors for safety and privacy, and vents to keep air flowing up and out through the roof. With a well right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.

Handwashing Stations

We set up two handwashing stations outside of the girls’ and boys’ latrines and handed them over to the newly formed student health club. Health club members will teach other students how to wash their hands at the stations properly, fill the stations with water, and ensure that there is always a cleaning agent available.

New Knowledge

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff, who ensured that the training date would be convenient for pupils and teachers. When the training day arrived, facilitators Christine, Patience, and Mildred deployed to the site to lead the event. 19 students and teachers attended the training, which we held on school grounds near the well construction site.

Students practice proper handwashing while the well pad is constructed in the background.

Our training covered several topics, including personal hygiene, oral hygiene, the ten steps of handwashing, environmental hygiene, child rights, leadership, and operation and maintenance of the well and pump, latrines, and handwashing stations.

Students elected their peers to lead their student health club during the leadership session. Members will encourage good health and hygiene practices amongst their peers, teachers, and the larger community. By the end of the training, each pupil understood their role in sustaining clean water and good health within their school community.

The health club's elected leaders.

Student leadership was the students' favorite topic, with many volunteers stepping up to lead and participate in the health club. They were eager to learn how children can be leaders within their own schools and communities.

"[The training] sharpened my leadership skills since I have been leading my class as the student leader, and thus I will be able to handle my fellow students well in terms of service delivery," said Collins, who was elected to be the student health club treasurer. "I [will] supervise the cleaning of the classrooms on a daily basis during the school days."

Collins cups his hands beneath the well spout.

Another exciting topic was soap-making, which had students gathering around while facilitators made the soap to witness and take part in the whole process.

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our partners, and the community members themselves. When an issue arises concerning the well, the students and teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program. We have an ongoing commitment to walk with each community, cooperatively problem-solving when they face challenges of any kind: with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. With all these components together, we strive to ensure 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 our target areas, we’re working toward complete coverage of 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!

April, 2022: St. Joseph Lunyu Primary School Borehole Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at St. Joseph Lunyu Primary School drains students’ time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this school through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation, and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!