Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 584 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Aug 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/26/2024

Project Features


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The primary water source for Museywa Secondary School, an older dug well seems by appearances like it should be sufficient. But, unfortunately, the well is seasonal so it often sits dry. And even when it has water, it does not provide enough for the school population of 584 students and staff.

There are also a couple of water storage tanks on the school campus, but without sufficient water to fill them, they only provide some relief. Often, they are empty, too.

The alternative for the school is to rely on students to collect water from other community water sources and bring it to school with them each morning. The water becomes contaminated when collected and carried in dirty containers regardless of the original source. Many water-related illnesses have been reported among teachers and students, leaving them suffering and missing out on their everyday activities.

"The first day I drank water from this school, that was the day that I got infected, and this has cost me a lot of money. My health has deteriorated because of amoeba," said Alice Nyangasi, a 38-year-old teacher. Alice is pictured below standing at the insufficient hang-dug well.

Finding water to collect is a challenge for students every day as they often have to wait in long lines wherever they go. People become impatient, and quarrels start. The students' valuable time and energy are lost when they should be learning.

Brian O. (pictured below), 16, said, "The current water situation has really affected my life. [I] am on and off in hospital with amoeba until teachers are tired with me. My performance has really dropped."

The students and staff at Museywa need a reliable, clean water source that will provide sufficient water. This will allow them to get back to learning instead of constantly dealing with delays and illnesses.

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


August, 2022: Museywa Secondary School Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Museywa Secondary 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.


"Access to clean and safe water from this water will help me improve in my performance because I will come to school daily and take my studies seriously compared to the past when I used to be absent because I was most of the time suffering from typhoid," said 15-year-old Duncan I. "Thanks be to God we have enough water, and [I] am now free and happy to come to school every day and enjoy my studies."

Duncan.

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

"Access to safe water from this water is going to limit me from waterborne diseases because before the new project came in, we used to drink water from different sources, and [the] waterborne diseases [rate] was high," said teacher Brenda Mrefu, 35. "l was forced to carry water from home, and this was tiresome."

Brenda at the new well.

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.

Ground-breaking ceremony.

To prepare, the school collected fine sand and water for cement-making. When everything was ready, and the students went home from class for the weekend (drilling is very loud!), 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 115 meters with a final static water level of 15 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.

Building cement 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.

Installing the pump.

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

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


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 Rose, Olivia, and Amos deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 students and teachers attended the training, which we held under a tree.


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.

Soap-making was a topic of interest introduced by the facilitator, who asked participants what makes the best soap, highlighting that it should lather easily, have a good color and smell, and be affordable. When the actual process of making soap began, students who were not even part of the training came out of their classes eager to witness the process.

Lavenda.

"The training was valuable and timely since a lot has been discussed in this training. I have learned many things like washing hands [and] brushing teeth, and [this is something] no one has taught me since I was born. The knowledge I have achieved [I] am going to use in my future life," said Lavenda M., the 17-year-old chairperson of the student water committee.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, 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 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 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!




May, 2022: Museywa Secondary School Borehole Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Museywa 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


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: "Come Rain or Sunshine the Water is Available."

November, 2023

A year ago, your generous donation helped Museywa Secondary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Harriet. Thank you

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Museywa Secondary 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!

Harriet P., 16, recalled what life was like at Museywa Secondary School before her school's well was installed last year.

"Water was scarce in our compound. We had a small tank and hand-dug well where we strained [to collect water] and overstretched them. During droughts, the school bought water, and [it] was only sufficient for cooking and drinking," said Harriet.

But collecting water is much simpler for Harriet and the other students at Museywa now.

"The good thing with this water point is [it is] reliable. Come rain or sunshine, the water is available. When it breaks down, it is fixed within the shortest time possible. This has impacted our life positively and made our stay here good because water is available," said Harriet.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Harriet and the other students, allowing them to collect water whenever it is needed and make improvements in their daily lives.

"We wash our latrines on [a] daily basis. Our classes are cleaned at least three times a week. Our sanitation has really improved," concluded Harriet.

Harriet happily collects water.


Right now, there are others 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.


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 Museywa 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 Museywa 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.


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