Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 553 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Oct 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/05/2024

Project Features


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Matioli Primary School prides itself on being the best performing school in the area. Over the years, the school has sent several students to top national schools, thus attracting many new students each year.

However, they still face one major challenge daily: water insecurity. For the 550 students and staff of Matioli, this limits their full potential.

They currently rely on one rainwater harvesting tank as their primary water source, but it runs dry after two days, and then they have to resort to other less reliable and safe water sources.

When it runs dry, pupils must carry water from home each morning. The protected spring where they collect water on their way to school is located far away, down a steep hill, forcing them to expend lots of energy and time fetching water and hauling it back to the school. They get tired and sometimes even end up dozing in class.

Celvine K. (in the photo above), shared her experience: "Some of us come from quite far away. Coming to school with a 10-liter jerrican is hard. You arrive late, and you are already tired."

The children arrive late to school and are tired before beginning morning classes, which greatly impacts the teacher's ability to cover the syllabi and affects the children's long-term academic success.

Joseph Ambani, the Head Teacher (in the photo above), said, "My students are losing the morning lessons because of fetching water. Some of them come already tired and can therefore hardly concentrate in class. This situation has greatly affected our syllabi completion timelines, which subsequently affects their academic performance."

A borehole will help students access clean and safe water within the school grounds and concentrate on their academics, leading to even brighter futures.

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


October, 2022: Matioli Primary School Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Matioli 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 students collecting water.

"This water point will greatly impact my general health, hygiene, and sanitation levels. I have access to sufficient and reliable drinking water while at school. I can further wash my hands, clean the washrooms, and do any activity without worrying about water availability," said 13-year-old Celvine K.

Celvine in front of the new well.

When we spoke to Celvine before the project, she commented about how tired collecting water made her, but now life will be different. "With the water point now available, I won’t have to come to school late and tired because of fetching water. I plan to redirect the time to my studies, playing with my friends, and helping out my parents with the household chores," Celvine concluded.

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

"Being the school administrator, this water point will definitely make my work life easier; students will no longer have to come to school tired every morning because of coming to school with water-filled jerrycans. We also won’t have to send students from class to go and fetch water," said headteacher Joseph Ambani.

Joseph pumps water for a student.

He continued: "This will definitely help my teachers complete various syllabi in good time. This will give them adequate time to prepare for the national examinations. In the long run, I’m confident this waterpoint will help improve our academic performance."

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, 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.

Opening prayers during the groundbreaking.

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 70 meters with a final static water level of 17 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.

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.


Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus with singing, dancing, and a celebratory meal together. 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

Boys outside their new latrine.

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

Putting the new handwashing station to use.

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 Elvis and Rachael deployed to the site to lead the event. 27 students and teachers attended the training, which we held outside under a shade 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.

Soap-making session.

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.

During the dental hygiene session, the attending students admitted that they lick sugar after brushing their teeth while at home to do away with the unpleasant taste of toothpaste in their mouths. The facilitator was amused, but discouraged them from doing it in the future.

A student practices dental hygiene.

"The training has been very impactful. It has helped me learn the best way of brushing my teeth and keeping my body and environment clean. This will be very vital in my quest to maintain good hygiene and sanitation levels going forward. The soap-making training can also help my parents back at home to earn some extra coins," said 14-year-old student water committee chairperson Selina N.

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!




August, 2022: Matioli Primary School Well Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Matioli 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: "Water is available at all times"

January, 2024

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

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Matioli 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!

Selvine K., 14, recalled what life was like at Matioli Primary School before her school’s well was installed last year.

"I was ever late in the morning to school since I had to go look for water to carry to school. I was also getting sick [from] typhoid and diarrhea from time to time due to consumption of contaminated water," Selvine shared.

Collecting water is now much less arduous and safer for Selvine and the other students at Matioli.

"Since the water is available at all times, I no longer waste my time and energy going to fetch water at the spring. I have also improved my levels of both my personal and environmental hygiene since there is enough water for use," she continued.

Students cleaning their classroom.

Having ready access to water from the well has made a difference for Selvine, giving her the opportunity to learn in a more conducive environment.

"I no longer waste time going to look for water at a nearby spring. Time that I used to spend going to fetch water is now spent on studies hence improving in my performance. During the dry spells, I am also able to water my school garden," she concluded.


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.

Selvine.


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 Matioli 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 Matioli 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

Rotary Club of Chestfield Walk 4 Water 2022
Newman Elementary 5th Grade
Riverside Womans Club
American Eagle 2021 Water Project
20 individual donor(s)