Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 1,016 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 02/02/2024

Project Features


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The students of Kaptik Primary School spend many hours each day at school. Because of the large school population of 997 students and 19 teachers, several water sources are needed, including many trips to the local spring for the students and staff to have sufficient water to make it through the day.

The older students come to school very early in the morning and immediately begin studying. At 7 am, they have a break; however, not to rest, but to rush to the local spring to collect water for the school day. Sadly, the spring is not a safe, reliable water source, as it is open to contamination. When the younger students arrive, they begin cleaning until the bell rings at 8 am, when the entire school assembles and officially begins their day.

There is a rainwater tank (30,000L) on the campus, but alone it can not possibly hold enough water to meet the needs of the growing student population. When the tank fills with rainwater, it is unsafe to drink and likely a source of diseases since it has not been properly cleaned since its installation.

The only other alternative is students hauling water from home, which is a tiring and laborious task. It is also dangerous since students collect water from unknown sources and transport it in unclean containers.

The students and staff must make use of the water they can find, but not without significant costs.

"The current water situation has really affected me because since I started using water from school, I have had chronic typhoid and amoeba, which is so expensive to treat. All [of] my salary is diverted to medication, and my family are really suffering," said teacher Patrick Lung'aho, 45.

"[I] am not able to attend classes because [I] am weak and hospitalized. This has affected me and my parents because any amount they get goes to my medication. My education has been interfered with [and I] am not able to catch up with my fellow students," said 9-year-old Shantel V.

The students and staff of Kaptik Primary School are anxiously awaiting the new well project so everyone's health can benefit and they can all get back to learning.

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

There is currently nowhere for students to wash their hands after using the latrines or before eating lunch, let alone the water to do so.

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


April, 2022: Kaptik Primary School New Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Kaptik 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 on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.


"Access to reliable, safe water has really changed my life. A larger portion of my study days in the previous years have been spent treating water-related diseases, but now [I] am okay and ready to work hard so that I can be the best girl in this society," said Shantel V., 11.

Shantel enjoying a drink of clean water!

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

Mr. Lung'ao washing his hands.

Teacher Patrick Lun'gaho, 45, said, "Access to reliable and safe water is going to impact my life. First, I will not carry drinking water from home because I have enough safe drinking water at school, which is a plus for me. Secondly, I have been sick throughout, suffering from amoeba and typhoid, but now [I] am totally healed and I will not be absent again and my class is going to be the best."

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.

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 and groundbreaking began with a prayer.

Groundbreaking prayer.

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 22 meters.

Students watch as the drilling begins.

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.

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 show this water is safe for drinking!

No dedication ceremony was conducted because the entire school was preparing for government exams. The project was handed over to the school headmaster, Mr. Mwashi, who promised to take good care of the facilities.

VIP Latrines

The girl's 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

Handwashing station.

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 Rose Serete, Nelly Chemutai, and Patience Njeri deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 students and teachers attended the training, which we held outside under a tree. Initially, the number that showed up for the training was more than expected, so we talked to the teacher on duty who reduced the number to the maximum allowed for the training to be successful.

Onsite training about the well.

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

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.

Soap-making session.

A memorable topic for the group was environmental hygiene. The facilitator asked pupils to name what they should have at home to maintain cleanliness. The participants were able to name latrines, bathrooms, compost pits, dish racks, and clotheslines. It was obvious they had paid attention during the lesson and understood it well. At the conclusion of the session, they put their learning to immediate use by picking up rubbish throughout the school compound.

Dorcas., 13.

Dorcas M., said, "The training was so good and I enjoyed the process. I have learned the ten hand washing techniques, soap-making, and leadership skills. This has sharpened my mind and I have lots to share with my fellow pupils who did not attend the training, even if [I'm] given a chance on parade (during school assembly) I will do it."

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.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




March, 2022: Kaptik Primary School New Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Kaptik 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!




Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


A Year Later: Dreams coming true!

June, 2023

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kaptik Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Jazmin. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Kaptik Primary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kaptik Primary School 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!

Jazmin V., 14, recalled what life was like in Kaptik Primary School before her school’s well was installed last year.

"It was so tiresome to carry water [from] outside the school compound. In a day, we used to miss three lessons for us to look for water for drinking and domestic uses. The time wastage was not easy to recover [from]. Sometimes our teachers could request [for] us to come to school during [the] weekend to cover the lessons that we lost, but it was not possible since some of the parents would not allow their children to come to school during [the] weekend," said Jazmin.

But life is much less stressful for Jazmin and the other students at Kaptik Primary School now.

"[The] reliability of water in this institution has enabled us to achieve [things] in different ways. Firstly, we have our own vegetables and trees, which we used [have] to irrigate during [the] dry season. Secondly, no wastage of time looking for water outside the school compound, which has helped us to come closer with our teachers to do our main agenda [of] education," said Jazmin.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Jazmin, allowing her time to concentrate on learning.

"Since the completion of this project, I have seen my dreams coming true because of [the] improvement every day in my studies since there is no more wastage of time looking for water outside the school which was tiresome and not safe for young girls like me," Jazmin concluded.

Thank you for helping Jazmin access clean water and have more hope for her future.

Right now, there are others just like her in neighboring communities that desperately need safe water access. Your support will immediately go to work to provide a clean water project - and we can’t wait to introduce you to the next person you’ll help.

Jazmin.


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 Kaptik 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 Kaptik 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.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - Miller Family Charitable Fund