Gift Dreams of Being a Water Hygiene Ambassador!

June, 2024

A year ago, your generous donation helped St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Gift. Thank you!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Gift. Since then, she and the St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School of 246 students have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"The best thing about living with clean water is that one is sure of not getting sick due to waterborne diseases," said Gift.

Before the Well's Installation

Like many in Kenya, 16-year-old Gift is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

Student at the distant spring before the well was installed.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in her school suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant students wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Gift, in particular, it lessened her opportunity for a well-rounded education.

"To get water before this project was completed was so hectic because the spring was two kilometers (over one mile!), which was a long distance to get water for more than one round. At the spring we were also forced to queue with my fellow students and wait for our turn because of the large crowd at the spring," she said.

Since the Well's Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Gift’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Gift at the well.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"My hygiene has changed from a year ago because previously it wasn't easy for one to clean the classes neatly, due to the tiresome process of fetching water. Now the classes are neatly cleaned because the borehole [well] is at the school compound making it easier to fetch water. I do remember dental hygiene and handwashing techniques, which were presented to us at the hygiene training," said Gift.

"Since the project was implemented my health has changed because now my parents are not spending most of their resources on my medication, due to the clean water I enjoy at the school. I have improved in my academics, since the time I usually used to go and fetch water from the spring, has been diverted to revisions and studies," she continued.

Gift watering a tree.

Gift is not only healthier but she feels safer too. She shared, "Nowadays I do not usually worry about safety when fetching water, because the borehole is located at the school compound, which is a free place to fetch water as compared to the spring, which is located at the community and surrounded [by] bushes which can be habitats of harmful animals."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Gift and the rest of her school. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Gift a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help fulfill dreams.

"My dream is to become a journalist in [the] future and be an ambassador of water hygiene," said Gift.

Gift (left), a student and their teacher at the well.

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 St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School 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 St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School – 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.

Project Status



Project Type: Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 246 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2023

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/07/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Samuel Simidi, Field Officer

The 226 students attending St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School never have enough water to drink.

Though there are two small rain tanks, they are always running dry, which leaves students to find water wherever they can on their way to school for themselves and their teachers.

"Water is scarce in this institution," said 17-year-old student, Maryann. "This has always forced me to carry water every day to school, mostly during the drought season. This entirely affects concentration in my studies, as most times I feel tired and worn out."

"Clean, sufficient water is a basic human right," said teacher, Melvin Imali. "Here in school, we are faced with [a] shortage and this has equally derailed our academic performance. Students, on several occasions, abscond [skip] classes for not being able to get water to carry to school."

"Water carried to school by the students can never be trusted," Melvin continued. "The school has reported cases of infections related to water, and this has always promoted absenteeism in school."

St. Veronica Kimaran was founded in 2010 by the Catholic Church as an option for girls who couldn't afford the school fees to attend other institutions in the area. The thatched roofs and semi-permanent homes of the attendees tell a story: the inhabitants are struggling to make ends meet. Since 2010, enrollment has continued to grow.

With each day, the rain tanks on school grounds are less and less sufficient for the school's needs.

What We Can Do:

New Well

We conducted a hydrogeological survey at this school and the results indicated the water table beneath it is an ideal candidate for a borehole well. Due to a borehole well's unique ability to tap into a safe, year-round water column, it will be poised to serve all of the water needs for this school's large population, even through the dry months.

The school will help collect the needed construction materials such as sand, rocks, and water for mixing cement. They will also provide housing and meals for the work team, in addition to providing local laborers. We will complement their materials by providing an expert team of artisans and drilling professionals, tools, hardware, and the hand-pump. Once finished, water from the well will then be used by the school’s students and staff for drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning, and much more.

Handwashing Stations

The student health club will oversee the two new handwashing stations we will provide, and make sure they are kept clean and in working condition. The club leaders will fill the handwashing stations with water daily and make sure they are always supplied with a cleaning agent such as soap or ash.

VIP Latrines

We will construct two triple-door latrine blocks using local materials that the school will help gather. Three doors will serve the girls and three doors will serve the boys. All of these new latrines will have cement floors that are designed to be easy to use and to clean. And with a borehole right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.

Training on Health, Hygiene, COVID-19, and More

We will hold a one-day intensive training session with students, teachers, and parents. This training will cover a wide range of topics including COVID-19 symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention; personal and environmental hygiene; and the operation and maintenance of the borehole, latrines, and handwashing stations. There will be a special emphasis on handwashing.

Our team of facilitators will use a variety of methods to train, including participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation, and asset-based community development. We will initiate a student health club, which will prepare students to lead other pupils into healthy habits at school and at home. We will also lead lectures, group discussions, and provide illustrative handouts to teach health topics and ways to promote good hygiene practices within the school including handwashing and water treatment. We will then conduct a series of follow-up trainings before transitioning to our regularly scheduled support visits throughout the year.

We and the school strongly believe that all of these components will work together to improve standards at this school, which will help lead to better student academic performance and will help unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Project Updates


June, 2023: St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School Well Complete!

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

"Water is life! We all need water in our day-to-day life. An institution that does not have a reliable water source is bound to [have] challenges related to hygiene and sanitation, thus affecting [the] overall performance of the students. Currently, we are grateful to you for having partnered with our school to put up a borehole. Indeed we are blessed. We now have enough clean water to clean our classes, latrines, wash our hands, and also for cooking and drinking. Our hygiene and sanitation standards will greatly be affected positively," said 16-year-old Wilkister A.

Wilkister.

"A school is where students get knowledge through lectures by teachers. Whenever we lose the connection with our teachers due to one or two challenges, students are prone to registering dismal results. From now then, students will enjoy ample time with teachers in class, leading to [the] completion of [the] syllabus on time. This [will] positively impact student's overall performance," said Wilkister.

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

"Clean, safe, reliable water is key in [the] sustainability of an institution or community. Water being scarce in an institution generates so many challenges, thereby affecting [the] smooth running of daily activities. Currently, we now have a reliable water source in the school compound that will serve us throughout the school calendar, thus allowing for a smooth running of activities. I am guaranteed clean, safe water for drinking whenever I am thirsty," said teacher Kennedy Amukhoye.

 

Mr. Amukhoye washes his hands at the new well.

Mr. Amukhoye continued, "Currently, the school enrollment is low. One factor driving this is the water challenges in the school. Most parents would rather admit their students to far [away] schools that have existing water sources on the school grounds. Installation of this borehole will open doors for more enrollment in the years to come. Our student's performance has also not been good. We, for many years now, do register dismal performance in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. Going forward, we will enjoy ample time for class work, and this will be a motivation to our students to improve their performance."

How We Got the Water Flowing

Parents, staff, and students all contributed to 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.

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 begins.

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 20 meters with a final static water level of 10 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.

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.

Drilling continues.

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.

Building the well pad.

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!

We officially handed over the new borehole to the school’s students and teachers.

Finishing the pump installation.

"Students and teachers were eagerly awaiting to see [the] water flow from the borehole as our team of experts undertook the process of pump installation. After a successful process, there arose jubilations, singing, and dancing from the school fraternity. The school headteacher gave a vote of thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly to see that the project was such a success. The school deputy headteacher closed with a thanksgiving prayer," said our field officer Samuel Samidi.

Water for everyone!

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. The event was an excellent chance to acknowledge the school administration and students as the primary parties entrusted with the tools we have given and remind them of our continued support as they develop. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

VIP Latrines


This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. 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

Learning proper hand washing techniques.

We set up two handwashing stations outside the 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 Patience and Samuel deployed to the site to lead the event. 22 students and teachers attended the training, which we held outside on the school compound.

The soap making process demonstration.

We focused on personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene; proper water handling; soap-making and the ten steps of handwashing; the importance of primary health care, the prevention of teen pregnancy and COVID-19; child rights; the operation and maintenance of the pump, well, latrines, and handwashing stations; and leadership and governance. During the latter, the students elected their peers to lead their newly formed student health club.

The student health club 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.

Training about water pollution was interesting to participants. The facilitator explained that water contamination is often a result of human activities like human and animal defecation and farming close to water points. Most participants admitted that they never treated their drinking water but promised to treat their drinking water through boiling, chlorination, filtration, and solar disinfection in the future.

Solar water disinfection.

"Primary healthcare, environmental sanitation, and clean water use are key [to the] success and growth of an institution. Today, our facilitators have expounded much on the same, giving detailed information that will fast-track our improvements to cope with the required standards," said Vallary I.

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 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 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!




May, 2023: St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary School Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at St. Veronica Kimaran Secondary 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!




Project Photos



Contributors

PKS The Harvest
MTY
1 individual donor(s)