Cecelia's Students Can Thrive!

February, 2025

A year ago, your generous donation helped the Friends Logere Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Cecelia Mwangi. Thank you!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Ms. Mwangi. Since then, she and the Friends Logere Primary School of 240 students have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"No more time wastage. I can now get on with life and teaching because collecting water is much faster and easier."

Before the Well Installation

Like many teachers in Kenya, 40-year-old Cecelia Mwangi helps students collect water to meet their daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her and her students.

The overcrowded spring students collected water from before the well installation.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Ms. Mwangi, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to fulfill her teaching commitment to her students.

"I would say it (collecting water) was a herculean task due to the high number of community members depending on the nearby spring. It got worse during dry seasons because the discharge would reduce, making it even harder and time-consuming," shared Ms. Mwangi.

Since the Well Installation

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

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!"

"I came to this school two years ago, and I can say initially, it was hard because I had to be in and out of [the] hospital due to health challenges related to drinking contaminated water. Today, I can happily report that my health is no longer threatened by dirty water. I can now save the money that used to go to medication," said Ms. Mwangi.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for teachers and students. 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 Ms. Mwangi a crucial tool for achieving her and her student's dreams: access to clean water.

Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help fulfill dreams.

"My students are happier and cleaner than they were a year ago. They finish cleaning quickly, settle down for lessons, and no longer appear tired during class time. The teachers are elated, to say the least. Conflicts between them and [the] parents are long gone. We all enjoy teaching since our students are able to get to class on time and concentrate more."

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 Friends Logere Primary 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 Friends Logere Primary 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: 240 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 02/06/2025

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Jemimah Khasoha Itovolwa, Community Engagement Officer

Friends Logere Primary School began in 2017 for children in grades one through four because parents were concerned about their little ones traveling four kilometers to the nearest school. Now, even though their school is in close proximity, parents are still concerned for their children's safety.

Since the school doesn't have its own water source, students must venture outside the school grounds every morning. They travel along a busy, dangerous road, risking injury or worse, to collect water from a local spring to meet the school's needs.

"The lack of water in the school is a real headache to me. Personally, [I] am always worried because of the pupils' safety as they go crossing the road to the spring," said 48-year-old teacher Pamelah Vugutsa (shown below).

The spring provides sufficient water, but because it is shared with community members, pupils waste a lot of time waiting in long lines.

And not only are children tired from traveling to the spring, waiting in line, and carrying heavy water containers, but with so much time spent outside the classroom, they are also suffering academically.


"My studies are greatly affected, and my grades are not increasing. [I] am always worried of not attaining my target grades to help me further my studies after primary school," said nine-year-old Shantel O., shown above collecting water at the spring.

By installing a well at the school, hopefully, students will be able to stay safely on the school campus while they continue learning, and parents' concerns can be eased.

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


March, 2024: Friends Logere Primary School Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Friends Logere Primary 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.

Celebrating at the new well.

"Access to clean water will help me to improve my studies. I will have no more stress going to the spring, which is a bit far. My life will be greatly impacted because of the water point that we have been brought in school. I will also have time to play with friends while in school because we used to go fetch water mostly during break time. I will be able to concentrate in class on my studies and [will] also have time to play and rest." said 13-year-old Shantel.

Shantel splashing water.

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

"Access to reliable, clean water from the school compound will highly improve our performance as a school. All the time the pupils used to waste going to bring water from the spring will be used for remedial lessons," said 44-year-old teacher Rabecca Amagove.

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.

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 100 meters with a final static water level of 54 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 and 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.

Constructing the well pad.

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!

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

Installing the well pump.

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. 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

A hand washing station.

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 Jemmimah and Victor deployed to the site to lead the event. 24 students and teachers attended the training, which we held under some trees in the courtyard.

Learning how to make soap.

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.

Training.

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.

Practice handwashing.

"The most memorable topic was dental hygiene. Pupils reported that most of them only saw toothbrushes and toothpaste in drawings on walls and [in] books. By and large, three-quarters of the population used tree branches as toothbrushes, while the remaining population cared less. They reported that even laughing while storytelling became so hard for them for fear that their bad breath would make them lose friends," Field Officer Jemmimah Khasoha said.

"The training was so knowledgeable and very educative. It will impact me personally, the participants, and the entire school. One of my takeaways was the skill of soap making. The school will benefit from the soap often [and] the classroom will be clean together with the latrines," said Rabecca.

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!




January, 2024: Friends Logere Primary School Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Friends Logere Primary School costs students 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!




Project Photos



Contributors

MTY
3 individual donor(s)