Students Have Time and Energy for Learning!

January, 2026

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Mr. Mayende and his students. Since then, he and the students and teachers of Mungulu Primary School, which has 859 students, have had access to clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"It saves us a lot of time that would have been used looking for [water]. Learners are forever hydrated!"

Before the Well Installation

Like many teachers in Kenya, 49-year-old Stephen Mayende was responsible for overseeing the collection of water to meet the school's daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task consumed everyone's time and had a negative impact on them.

Students collected water from their previous water source last year.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Mr. Mayende, it lessened his opportunity to maintain the learners' attention and time in class.

"Learners wasted a lot of time going out of school to fetch water. There were frequent outbreaks of water-related ailments due to drinking unsafe water," shared Mr. Mayende. "It was very hectic, time-consuming, and a really laborious task."

Since the Well Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this school’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Mr. Mayende pumps water from the reliable well on school grounds.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"My health condition has changed. I no longer suffer from waterborne diseases, as was previously the case. I no longer spend a lot of money on medication," said Mr. Mayende.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Mr. Mayende and the rest of his school community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

A student watering the school's garden plants.

You gave Mr. Mayende and the school a crucial tool for achieving their dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, their enthusiasm and courage will help them fulfill their dreams.

"Our school environment is much cleaner. The students carry out hygiene practices with ease. Most of the students are now resilient to ailments or avoid ailments, all the same. In addition, agriculture and nutrition lessons have become more enjoyable. Our gardens are starting to get actively used by teachers and learners. There is an increase in food production, especially vegetables, at [the] school. This has led to easy availability of food at the school," celebrated Mr. Mayende.

"Teachers at the school can now save time used before to organize learners to fetch water. There is total peace between teachers and the neighboring community, and between the teachers and learners. More time is now being spent in class for curriculum work, unlike before," he concluded.

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 Mungulu 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 Mungulu 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.

Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 859 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jan 2025

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/08/2026

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Betty Muhongo, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

The 859 students and staff of Mungulu Primary School struggle to access sufficient water to meet their daily needs.

"The school has one rain harvesting tank with a capacity of thirty thousand liters which serves them only during the rainy season. The rain harvesting tank is located within the school compound, and the environment around [the] tank is not clean. The drainage is blocked, the gutters are not clean, and the tank has never been cleaned since implementation. That is [a] clear indication that the water is not clean," said field officer Betty Muhongo.

When the rain tank is empty much of the year, the students are responsible for finding water in other places, so they spend a significant amount of their day searching for and collecting water instead of being in class learning.

Students often stop off at local springs or streams on their way to school, but carrying heavy water containers and school bags exhausts them before their learning day begins.

"Carrying water every morning together with my school books has not been easy. At times, I get to school when my uniform is completely wet. Other times, I am forced to queue at the crowded water point, and by so doing, I get to school late and get punished for being late," shared 13-year-old Stellahmarn L., shown below at a community spring.

"Pupils normally bring water from home every morning as they come to school, but there are times when they are forced to stop their classes to go and get water. By so doing, the academic program is interfered with, thus leading to poor performance," said Betty.

"During dry seasons, pupils have to bring water to school, which has been a big channel for contracting waterborne diseases and hampering their health," Betty continued.

"The water in all these water points is not safe for human consumption unless treated or filtered. The teacher in charge of sanitation reports stomach ache problems combined with numerous diarrhea cases. The affected students or teachers have to get medication, which has cost them school time and [has] been one of the leading factors in poor performance and incomplete syllabus coverage."

"Since I am a parent too, I'm not happy when I see pupils being asked to get out of class to get water for general school usage. It usually averages to the entire afternoon or midmorning class hours lost and sends us a step back in coverage of the curriculum. I at once lost half of my class to an infection from dirty water, and it cost us very important time just before the exams," said 45-year-old teacher Stephen Mayende, shown above with his class.

"Drilling a borehole will be the best solution for this school because the issues of seasonality will be solved, and having a central water point that can be monitored will go a long way in preventing contamination of the water," concluded Betty.

Installing the well will enable students like Stellahmarn to return to class so she can learn and teachers like Stephen to focus on giving students learning opportunities to empower them for the future.

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


January, 2025: Mungulu Primary School Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Mungulu 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.

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!

"[A] reliable water supply at my school will ensure that I am always clean. I will wash my hands after visiting the toilet, and I will drink enough water during the day to keep my body well hydrated. I will have sufficient time to concentrate on my academic work, hence improved performance. I will strive to perform better in my studies," said 13-year-old Ernest.

Ernest.

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

"The new waterpoint will solve the complaints of the parents about their children carrying water to school. Also, the issue of learners missing lessons due to fetching water from outside will come to an end. Access to clean, safe, and reliable water supply will contribute toward high academic achievement, hence success in career progression for the students," said Magdalene Karemi, a 36-year-old sanitation teacher at the school.

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.

Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 110 meters with a final static water level of 33 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.

Building the well pad.

Once we reached the optimum depth, the team inserted permanent casing and 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.

Installing the hand pump.

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!

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


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


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.

School Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff. When the training day arrived, facilitators Joel Otuya and Mary Afandi deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 students and teachers attended the training.

The training participants.

We emphasized personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene. Proper water handling, soap-making, 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, and 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.

Learning about dental care.

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.

Students learn how to make soap.

"The students were keen to learn about soapmaking, the reagents used, and where materials can be found. Before the soapmaking practical session began, the students laughed [at] seeing the cooking stick and the big cooking pot. They thought that the enumerator wanted to cook ugali (porridge). Little did they know that they were about to be taken through the steps of soapmaking. They were very happy and eager to [learn] the new ideas in personal hygiene," shared Field Officer Mary Afandi.

Maryann.

"The most interesting topic covered in the hygiene training was handwashing. During training, that is how I came to know that I did not know how to wash my hands. I have been taking germs to my stomach. We were taught to wash our hands after visiting [the] toilet, before eating, and also coming back home after school," said 12-year-old Maryann.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




November, 2024: Mungulu Primary School Well Underway!

The lack of adequate water at Mungulu 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