Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 543 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/26/2025

Project Features


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Community Profile

The 543 students and staff at Shisango Primary School have no reliable water source on their school campus.

There is a small 5,000-liter rainwater tank, but it is too small to offer any real relief. With the high population at the school, it empties quickly, and during the dry season, it often sits completely empty.

Because the rain tank offers insufficient water, students must collect water from a community spring, but it is far from the school. Time away from class means less learning for pupils and the expenditure of a lot of energy acquiring water, causing them to be tired and less able to concentrate when they are in class. Even students' break times when they should be playing are consumed.

"Time management is a problem because students have to go to collect water, thus consuming a lot of time, time that could have been used performing other duties or studying," said 53-year-old headteacher Peter Wafunafu (shown below).

The spring is also not in great condition. To collect water, students must either lean over while balancing on the bottom step, stand on stones in the water, or step into ankle-deep, muddy water.

"Sometimes it is hard to fetch water because it stagnates at the drawing point, forcing us to put [in] stones so that we have a place to step on so as to get the water," said 11-year-old Mitchelle A., seen below fetching water.

The spring is also overcrowded, as it is the primary water source for community members, causing long lines and wait times for everyone to collect minimal water.

"Also, we fetch water in small quantity because the water users are so many [and we have] wastage of time because we share water with community members, so we are forced to line up for a very long time," said Mitchelle.

With a borehole on their school campus, students should be able to get back to learning, and everyone can be assured that the water they consume is safe.

Water at schools is unique, which is why we need unique solutions.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Handwashing Stations

Alongside each water source, we also provide two new gravity-fed handwashing stations that will allow everyone at the school to wash their hands without running water. Handwashing is so important to help prevent future water-related illnesses in the school community.

The student health club will maintain the stations, fill them with water, and supply them with soap (which we will teach the school community how to make during the training!).

VIP Latrines

In addition, we will construct two triple-door Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine blocks designed to prevent fecal disease transmission. Each latrine will have a cement floor, which is easy to use and clean regularly. Three doors will serve the girls, and three doors will serve the boys.

Project Updates


September, 2024: Shisango Primary School Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Shisango Primary School in Kenya, thanks to the completion of their borehole well! Clean, flowing water is already making a difference in the lives of the students and staff. This will provide them with a reliable water source for their daily needs.

Celebrating clean water!

We installed new latrines and handwashing stations, then trained students and staff on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for these students to thrive!

Tracy splashing.

"My learning will be easier and enjoyable. We have wonderful teachers who always show love and feel for us whenever we come to school carrying water or classes [are] being interrupted for us to go and get water for school work. I have a reason to get to school on time in the morning, attend preparation lessons, and study in a clean environment because we have plenty [of] water for sanitation activities," said 11-year-old Tracy.

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

Mr. Anami at the new well.

"This waterpoint is a permanent mark that is going to impact generations to come. I believe we are already living in the future. Besides that, [the] availability of water in these premises is going to help our teachers, especially those who teach agriculture, to have plenty of water for irrigation and train students to become great farmers and agronomists. We hope our students have been encouraged with the team of experts that were on [the] ground to work hard in school to better their lives. This is enough motivation for my students to perform well. I want to see pupils having [an] easy life at school and see their dreams come true through education," shared teacher Michael Anami.

How We Got the Water Flowing

The first step was to conduct a hydrogeological survey to determine the the best site for the school's well. Once we found the perfect spot, the team obtained approval from the government to begin drilling.

Parents, staff, and students all contributed to this well’s success, right from the start. To prepare for the well, 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 begins.

Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 90 meters with a final static water level of 10 meters.

The drilling process can take up to three consecutive days to complete due to this region’s hard bedrock, so the 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 optimum depth, the team inserted permanent casing, 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.

We constructed a cement well pad to seal it off from any ground-level contaminants. Tiles were installed beneath the spout to protect the cement from the erosive force of the water. We included a short drainage channel and a soak pit to prevent standing water.

When the well pad was cured, we installed a new stainless steel hand pump and sampled the water for a quality test. The results showed this water was safe for drinking!

Installing the handpump.

We officially gave ownership of the new borehole to the school’s students and teachers.

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. The event was an excellent chance to acknowledge the school administration and students, and remind them of our continued support. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

VIP Latrines

The new girls' 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. They have locking doors for safety and privacy, as well as vents to keep air flowing 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 also also set up two handwashing stations outside the latrines. Student 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 soap available.

Community Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff. When the training day arrived, facilitators Amos, Mitchelle, and Faith deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 students and teachers attended the training.

We emphasized personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene. Proper water handling, soapmaking, the ten steps of handwashing, and the importance of primary health care were discussed. We covered disease prevention, teen pregnancy, and child rights. Waterpoint, latrine, handwashing station operation, and maintenance, as well as leadership and governance, were discussed. By the end of the training, each pupil understood their role in sustaining clean water and good health within their school community.

The students elected peers to lead their newly formed student health club. The student health club members will encourage good health and hygiene practices amongst their peers, teachers, and the larger community.

Tippy tap handwashing station demonstration.

"The attendance met our expectations due to adequate preparation and prior communication with the school. Participants were selected from grades 4,5 and 6 through the help of Mr. Imbiakha, the senior teacher. The session was interactive and interesting. Pupils participated through asking questions, answering questions, and sharing experiences," said Field Officer Amos Emisiko.

"Training on water treatment, water handling, and water conservation excited the participants. The demonstration on how they contaminate water from fetching, [and] carrying to storage was interesting. The facilitator used [the] example of how people contaminate water by covering baskets using dirty leaves instead of container covers. Students shared more ways they make [the] water dirty, like using [the] same cup at the storage pot for scooping water from it and drinking without washing it. The facilitator elaborated [on] the importance of having different cups for scooping water, and after use, they should be washed," Amos continued.

"I really enjoyed [the] soapmaking process activity. I have always thought soaps are made by industries in big towns, but to my surprise, that very day, we were taught the easiest way to make liquid soap. I liked how the facilitator involved us in every step [by] guiding [us] as we made soap ourselves. He used simple terms and colors to describe the chemicals, making it simpler for us to understand," said 11-year-old Tracy.

Tracy.

"During the training, we discussed how we are going to improve our hygiene and sanitation in school through regular washing of latrines, classrooms, and [the] proper disposal of solid wastes. This training has put in us the spirit of cohesiveness towards hygiene and sanitation, and we intend to make the impact felt in school through guiding others. We will establish tippy taps and leaky tins in our home to improve hand washing hygiene and also make liquid soap for handwashing in our school," Tracy concluded.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




July, 2024: Shisango Primary School Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Shisango 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


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!