The Water Project’s WaSH program in Western Kenya aims to access, protect, filter, and purify the abundant waters that are available through two seasonal rains, prevalent springs, high water tables, and deep aquifers in the region. Explore water projects in communities, schools, and churches in Western Kenya such as protected springs, rainwater catchment systems, and water wells. This program emphasizes the power of strategic geographical saturation of projects, effective hygiene and sanitation training, and relational networking between NGOs, health workers, local politicians, and educators.
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!
Rehabilitation Project
Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.
There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing it because a project fell into disrepair.
Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.
Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct the well and install a hand pump.
Engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.
Local Leadership
Water projects don’t last long without the help of local leaders. They’re the ones who explain the situation on the ground to us (and our donors!) while also outlining our goals and intentions for the community members.
The Water Project identifies, supports, and partners with local organizations that share our vision of reliable, verifiable, and clean water. Together, we build lasting local solutions and undertake ongoing monitoring and resolution to ensure our solutions are still working years into the future.
Community Engagement
We engage the communities we work with at every step of a water project.
These interactions are rooted in relationship-building. We involve the community in implementation, set expectations for water point management, prepare community members for ongoing costs, and more. All of this happens before a water project is installed.
The people receiving a water project get a leading seat at the table. Every water project we implement requires negotiations with several interested parties. During this step and every other, we continuously try to embody our favorite ideals: reliability, relationship, and trust.
Handwashing Stations
Handwashing with soap is critical to reduce illness, especially for children who are vulnerable to diarrheal diseases. Our projects include hygiene training, which teaches community members how to build handwashing stations and communicates the importance of proper handwashing techniques. When we work at schools, we install permanent handwashing stations and work to ensure a constant supply of soap so students and teachers can experience better health.
Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrines
We install Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrines at all of our projects in all Kenya school projects because proper hygiene and sanitation facilities go hand-in-hand with access to clean, reliable water. VIP Latrines contain a vent pipe fitted to the pit and a screen over the pipe opening that helps limit flies and bad smells. This makes the latrines more sanitary and easier to use.
Hygiene and Sanitation Training
For many communities, water is just the beginning. Living without water deprioritizes things that deplete water rations, like bathing, cleaning, and even handwashing. Also, in some cases, community members who couldn’t afford to go to school never learned topics usually covered in health classes. A steady water supply on its own won’t solve these issues, which is why we train the people in every community, school, and health center we provide with a water project.
Although we tailor the subjects we cover in each training to each region and community, there are some staples we always touch on: water handling and storage; personal and environmental hygiene; disease transmission; how to form and maintain a water user committee; and the operation/maintenance of the community’s new water project.
With each training, our goal is to empower communities to take back their personal health so growth and development can begin.
Monitoring and Resolution
Sub-Saharan Africa is littered with broken and abandoned wells installed by well-meaning people.
We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, reliability is the true measure of our impact.
Water can only transform lives if it’s always there. Water-fetchers need to know that when they visit one of our water points, there will always be water. Sometimes, it only takes one sip of dirty water to make someone sick, even if they’d been drinking clean water for months beforehand.
This is why we measure our water projects’ downtime in hours, not days or weeks. Each hour is critical to someone’s life, and each hour someone has to wait for clean water is another opportunity to go back to the rivers, swamps, and scoop holes they resorted to before our water project was installed. Our past water projects are just as important as what we tackle in the future.
The Water Project monitors all of our water projects to make sure water service continues. To learn more about how you can help with ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and resolution, read about The Water Promise: a group of amazing, world-changing monthly donors who understand the power of keeping water flowing long after the installation is done.
Project Timeline FAQ
Project Status
We’re working hard to make sure your gifts result in a lasting water project for the community it serves. Our engagement with a community begins many months before construction and lasts years after construction. The timeline here is focused on the physical construction of the water project. There is also training and engagement work that has already started.
Water project construction in the developing world is hard work. A lot of things can and do cause delays - which are normal. We attempt to make our best judgment of when construction will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.
Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and progress of community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes speed up) a project's completion.
We will always tell you if anything changes. And, if you get a notice like this – it’s actually further proof your gifts are being carefully used towards a water project that lasts.
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Community Profile
Chimoroni Secondary School has its own standpipe, but it has numerous problems.
The water source is shared with both the surrounding community and the neighboring primary school, which drains the standpipe's water supply and highly inflates the school's electricity bill. Since electricity is spotty in this region of Kenya, the standpipe often stops working altogether; then, students have to travel off school grounds to fill their jerrycans wherever they can.
The school is already densely populated, with 931 students and 32 staff members. The standpipe is supplied by an overhead rain catchment tank that has a limited supply of water. Sharing the water source among so many people not only drains the tank prematurely, but the overuse also wears on the equipment, causing frequent, costly breakdowns.
"We have longed to have [an] alternative source of water in this compound," said teacher Francis Wanyama (pictured above). "Through you, we hope to have this reality to help the students. During power shortages, students go far away to get water and miss my classes."
Sharing the standpipe also delays students who are sent to fetch water for the school's various purposes, as they are often met with a line of people when they're meant to return straight to class. While they wait, the water level in the tank lowers, so by the time they reach the front of the line, there may not be any water.
"As students, we wish to have our own source of water in the school," said student Ruth O, pictured above in front of the standpipe. "This will enable [us to] access water quickly and easier to spare time for [our] academics. Most evenings, we are unable to access enough [water] because of [its] exhaustion by [the] primary [school] section and community."
A new water source on school grounds will help everyone: the students, staff, and community. They will have more time, energy, and water for all their 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
April, 2023: Chimoroni Secondary School Borehole Well Complete!
We are excited to share that Chimoroni 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 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 in the future.
"It is easier to access water at school with a lot of ease," said student Faith M. "From today, [I] am happy because [I] am sure that the water [I] am consuming is clean and from a well-known source. The teachers won't have [a] rough time with us because we used to scramble for the little water that was available."
Faith at the new borehole with a glass of water.
Faith continued: "Students stayed from morning to evening without drinking water, unless some of the students carried [it with them]. When the water from the primary [school] section failed, either because of [the] bursting of pipes, mechanical breakdown, or vandalization of taps, our hope as a school was on the water brought by the vendor, which, most of the time, was not clean. Things have changed from now, because we can access clean water. Our sanitation standards as [a] school will improve because we have plenty of water. We also wish to improve in time management and use the time for academic purposes and improve."
Teachers were just as excited as the students about the new well on campus.
"This water point is a lifesaver now," said Francis Wanyama, whom we interviewed on our first visit to Chimoroni Secondary School.
Mr. Wanyama at the new well.
"We have been buying water for drinking because the water the vendor brings, he just fetches from a passing stream," Mr. Wanyama continued. "Our main water source [was] water from the borehole [at] the primary [school] section, but it is not reliable, like this year alone, we have replaced the pump three times and bought water for almost the entire three months for school use. The water [from the primary school] is cloudy and used for cooking. With this borehole, [I] am sure we are not only consuming clean water, but also using it for other activities. As a teacher, [I] am sure it is going to help us to achieve high hygiene and sanitation standards."
Students fetch water from the new borehole.
"This water point will help [the] teacher on duty and [the] students to be time-conscious," Mr. Wanyama said. "We also expect the number of water-related diseases to drop significantly, because some of the students who consumed water brought from outside had some complaints, like [sore] throats and stomachaches."
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.
Setting the drill bit to break ground.
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 87 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.
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.
Testing the well's yield and pump.
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.
Finished project.
Field officer Amos described the moment the ownership of the well passed to the school. "The principal called a small meeting [comprised] of the deputy principal, [the] Parent-Teacher Association chair, three teachers, [and] a class of students from form one, and gave thanks to the organization for great work that has been done at 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
Students being trained on proper handwashing technique.
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 Mildred, Christine, and Amos deployed to the site to lead the event. 30 students and teachers attended the training, which we held on the school compound beneath a shade tree.
Facilitator Amos leading an icebreaker.
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.
One of the training's more memorable moments came when we discussed bad hygiene practices. Trainers held up posters and asked the students to describe what was happening and why the practice is bad.
A boy describes a poster displaying a bad hygiene practice.
"One of the participants used his friend's name to describe a picture where a boy was urinating near the river," described facilitator Amos. "This left everyone laughing."
The trainer then asked the students if the named person was among the participants, which he was. The first boy's friend stood up and requested to do the next presentation.
"He did the presentation so well, but at the end, he joked [about] his friend being in the picture," Amos continued. "At the end, I realized [these] are two best friends who like making fun of each other. They made the presentation amazing and so memorable."
Another topic that students really enjoyed explained how to maintain the borehole and pump to ensure it lasts for a long time. The students explained that there are other hand pumps around the area that have broken and have never been fixed.
"Having also experienced [a] great challenge of water, the participants said they could do all things good to ensure the pump remains in use," Amos explained.
"The training has been good, and I have learned a lot," said Faith (quoted earlier), who was elected to be secretary of the newly formed student health club. "I have learned the importance of keeping our environment clean because its benefits are so important. I have learned to make soap, and I actively participated during the soap-making process. I can make soap for my family at home if I can get the chemicals and also help the school to make its own [soap] without depending on suppliers. This training has also helped [me] to learn that we can be what we want to be through encouragement from [the] facilitator Amos, [who] talked of patience and sacrifice. We should never give up, and [I] am really encouraged from that."
Students jumping for joy at the new well.
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 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!
February, 2023: Chimoroni Secondary School Well Underway!
A severe clean water shortage at Chimoroni 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 Videos
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!
Rehabilitation Project
