Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 1,000 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 10/03/2024

Project Features


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With 922 students and 21 staff members at Ebubole Primary School, there are a lot of mouths to keep hydrated and a lot of hands and classrooms to clean. But, unfortunately, with the way things stand there right now, neither of those objectives is being fulfilled.

On school grounds, there are an unprotected, shallow hand-dug well and an untreated 10,000-liter rain tank. Given the high number of typhoid cases among both students and staff members, it's likely that both of these sources are contaminated.

"The well is located in front of [a] classroom near trees which [sheds] leaves, causing contamination, especially when [the leaves] decompose around the well," explained our field officer, Laodia. "[The] rainwater harvesting tank located behind the classrooms is not always cleaned, which leads to [an] accumulation of dirt and solid matter at the base [of the tank], which, with time, leads to [the] water not being safe for consumption."

"We have had many cases of typhoid since the well is not well protected," said senior teacher Benson Wagara (shown below).

"When I first felt sick in 2014, I thought it was just the normal malaria, but it turned out to be [a] bacterial infection which was caused by contaminated water from the school," Benson continued. "After treatment, all was well until the year 2021 when the same condition occurred, which prompted me to [get] a test on typhoid, of which the results from the laboratory showed positive. Ever since that time, I have resorted to boiling drinking water and [carrying] my own [water] from home everywhere I go to prevent any other health problems."

“Better water sources...mean less expenditure on health, as people are less likely to fall ill and incur medical costs, and are better able to remain economically productive. With children particularly at risk from water-related diseases, access to improved sources of water can result in better health and therefore better school attendance, with longer-term consequences for their lives.” - WHO Africa

Aside from being contaminated, both of the school's current water sources are seasonal, which means that during Kenya's lengthening dry seasons, students have no reliable source of water. During that time, students are tasked with carrying water from home.

"As a student, sometimes [I] am forced to [wake] up very early in the morning to fetch water from home, especially during [the] dry season," said 10-year-old Sandra B (pictured above). "In the month of July this year, we had no water at our school, and it really made our class work very difficult because we could carry a jerrycan of water [in] one hand and books [in] the other, which made me so tired and exhausted. [I had] less concentration, which led to [the] dropping of [my] grades."

An improved source of reliable water will keep the students clean and hydrated all year 'round and reserve their energy for learning rather than fetching water.

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 season.

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 hand-pump. Once finished, the school’s students and staff will use water from the well for drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning, and much more.

The school and we 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 unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Handwashing Stations

The student health club will oversee two new handwashing stations we will provide and ensure 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

Two triple-door latrine blocks will be constructed with local materials that the school will help gather. Three doors will serve the girls, and three doors will serve the boys. These new latrines will have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean. And with a new well right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.

Training on Health, Hygiene, 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 disease 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 various 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 home. We will also lead lectures, group discussions and provide illustrative handouts to teach health topics and promote good hygiene practices within the school, including handwashing and water treatment. We will then conduct a series of follow-up training 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


March, 2024: Ebubole UPC Primary School Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Ebubole UPC Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new safe water source thanks to the completion of their 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.

"I will be able to come to school early and ready to concentrate on my studies without worrying about water challenges. I plan to study hard and pass my exams. This is because I will no longer be late to school due to carrying water from home, and this will help me to attend all lessons and finish all assignments from the teachers," said 9-year-old Sandra B.

Sandra.

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

"I will be able to maintain hygiene and sanitation in school throughout the year," said Deputy Headteacher Akala Namusendo, 51.

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.

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 80 meters with a final static water level of 72.5 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 and 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!

We officially handed over the new borehole to the school's students and teachers.

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus.

"During the handing over, there was a great celebration which [was] comprised of singing and dancing from the learners, teachers, community members, and government representatives. The ward administrator, in his speech, reported that whenever he sees a TWP logo, he feels relieved with [the] assurance of [the] flow of clean water and permanent resolution to water challenges," shared Field Officer Jacqueline Kangu.

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

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

Learning how to make soap.

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 Jacqueline, Joyce, Adelaide, and Elvin deployed to the site to lead the event. 37 students and teachers attended the training, which we held in one of the classrooms.

The oral hygiene session.

We focused on personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene; proper water handling; soap-making and the ten steps of handwashing; the importance of primary health care, the prevention of teen pregnancy and COVID-19; child rights; the operation and maintenance of the pump, well, latrines, and handwashing stations; and leadership and governance. During the latter, the students elected their peers to lead their newly formed student health club.

Learning how to wash hands properly.

The student health club 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.

Learning about how to care for the well.

"Ebubole UPC Primary School has for a long time had challenges of water and latrines. Apart from drinking, this water is going to be of great importance in this school as far as hygiene is concerned. The most memorable topic was personal hygiene. One of the trainees, a grade four boy, said he has not been bathing regularly because back home, their water source is far [away], and the water is not clean. Now that there's clean water at school, he will be carrying water from school every day for bathing and drinking," shared Jacqueline.

"Through training, I've learned how to wash hands with soap and drink clean water. I will be able to live a healthy life," said 7-year-old Wesley O.

Wesley.

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 Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we're working toward complete coverage. That means 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!




January, 2024: Ebubole UPC Primary School Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Ebubole UPC 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!


Contributors

Project Sponsor - In honor of my wife Caren
3 individual donor(s)