Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 767 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/05/2024

Project Features


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The 767 students and staff at Mukhuyu Primary School never know where they will get their daily water.

The challenge of water scarcity at the school affects everyone's daily schedules. Students bring water from their homes each morning, but it is never enough to make it throughout the day.

The school's rainwater harvesting tanks are too small to hold enough water to meet demand, and a piped water stand connected to a local reservoir only works once or twice a week since it also serves the community.

When the rain tanks and tap stands are dry, and the water students carry to school runs out, students leave school during class to collect surface water from a local stream.

The stream is quite a distance away over hilly, rugged terrain. It isn't an easy trip, especially with heavy, full water jugs on the return journey. And the time spent collecting water and carrying water steals from students learning time. When they return, it is hard to concentrate in class because they are exhausted.

"Students waste their precious time meant for studies just to go for water outside the school compound. Besides that, a lot of students hate schooling because of the challenges they encounter when in school," said field officer Nelly Chebet.

"I was tired of carrying water which was being used for cleaning classrooms. Then [the] next day, I woke up late, picked [up] my five-liter container [to] collect water as I picked [up] my bag for school. Nearing the school, I was so late hence I opted [to go] back home rather than reach the school [and] be punished for being late," said 13-year-old student Sharon I. (shown above).

"[The] water challenge is [the] worst thing in the school because it affects [everything from] health aspects to school academic performances," said 32-year-old teacher Robert Cheruiyot (shown below).

Sadly, all of the students' work only culminates in contaminated that makes people sick.

"Water fetched from the source and placed in a clear container shows visible particles. Thus, it is not safe for human consumption," said Nelly. "A number of waterborne ailments have been reported in the school like typhoid, coughing, and headaches, which [are] attributed to consuming water from the school water sources."

"In [a] recent case, I was diagnosed [with] typhoid, which made me [miss] two days away from school. Because I was sick, I was not able to attend my lessons, and it also affects my learners [because] on that day they didn't learn," Robert said.

Installing a well at the school will help students and staff access sufficient, clean drinking water quickly. It should also relieve students of wasting their time meant for studies and hopefully improve everyone's health.

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


March, 2024: Mukhuyu Primary School Well Complete!

We are excited to share that Mukhuyu 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.


"Since there is no more wastage of time outside the school compound. I will be able to get enough time to do discussions with friends concerning our studies, which will improve my academic performance. [The] reliability of water at the school compound will help me to attend classes fully," said 15-year-old Centrine.

Centrine celebrating clean water.

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

"Access to [a] reliable, clean water source will ensure health [and] safety to the learners and community at large. More so, there will be no more water-related ailments among the teachers and the learners. Lastly, the school will no longer waste money buying water during dry seasons because now we have [a] reliable water source," said 37-year-old deputy headteacher John Luvembule.

Mr. Luvembule with students at the new water point.

"My plans or goals as a deputy headteacher is to ensure that the school sanitation standards have greatly improved. This is because now we have [a] reliable water source and the knowledge of making soap, which will help us make this institution more conducive to learning," John concluded.

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 begins.

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 100 meters with a final static water level of 9.3 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.

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. 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

Training on the proper techniques of hand washing.

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 Jonathan Mutai and Nelly Chebet deployed to the site to lead the event. 20 students and teachers attended the training, which we held outside under a shade tree.

We focused on personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene; proper water handling; soapmaking 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.

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.

The soapmaking process was new to all participants. Though they were using liquid soap in school, they were not aware of how to make the soap. The teacher who was present encouraged the participants to be very keen (attentive) for them to know how soap is made.

The most memorable topic was how to maintain the water project. The facilitator encouraged everyone to properly care for the water point so it can last a long time. One of the participants, who was elected chairperson of the child health club, emphasized to the other participants the need to take good care of the facilities because the older generations, like their grandparents, had not experienced the privilege of clean water access in the past.

Training participants.

"Training was so valuable to me because I have learned new things in my life. [The] soapmaking process is one of the topics I will never forget. This is because, since I was young, I used to know that soap is made in industries only, but today I have learned that soap is made in two ways - hot and cold process. Second, [the] knowledge acquired will really help me to improve in hygiene practices both at home and school," said Centrine.

Centrine.

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: Mukhuyu Primary School Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Mukhuyu 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

1 individual donor(s)