Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 386 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jan 2025

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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The 386 students and staff of Lukala Secondary School scramble daily to collect enough water, but none of the water sources on their school campus can produce sufficient water to meet their needs.

The school has an old dug well, but it runs dry quickly, and the water it produces is questionable. It is not uncommon for students to be disheartened when they are last in line and pull up brown, muddy water. But sadly and understandably, when students are thirsty, they consume any water they can find. Below, you can see students gathering around the well for a turn to snatch a bit of water before it runs out.

"The last time the hand-dug well went dry, I was forced to drink mud water. I tried pumping, and all that came out was mud water. I had no alternative other than [to] drink it. [I] couldn't hold my thirst until home time," said 18-year-old Fred S. (seen below).

"The hand-dug well, which is the main water source for this school, dries up during the dry season. The hand-dug well goes dry, rendering pupils helpless in terms of drinking water, handwashing, sanitation, and hygiene. Students go thirsty the whole day, even after having their lunch in school. General cleaning that [is] often done on Fridays has many times been postponed due to lack of enough water within the school," said field officer Lillian Achieng.

The school also has a few small rain tanks, but when rain is sparse, particularly during the dry season, and the demand is great, they run dry quickly. Even when they are full, students can not drink the water because the tank's water is not treated, and its quality is poor.

"The rainwater in the tanks is never used for drinking due to the small visible worms present. The rainwater harvesting tanks go dry, too, during the dry months," said Lillian.

When both sources at the school are empty, students are supposed to be accompanied by staff to collect water from the local river, but this interrupts everyone's day and stops the learning that should be happening.

"Sometimes, I am unable to follow the students out of school when they go to the river to fetch water due to my busy schedule. This has not been taken positively by [my] seniors and has been termed as rebelliousness. It affects my teaching and puts my job at stake," said 55-year-old teacher Jemmimah Nekesa (shown below).

Not only does it cause delays for everyone, distracting them from their regular routine, but sadly, the water everyone spends so much time and effort collecting is also unsafe to consume. Without alternatives, there is no choice but to take the risk and drink it anyway.

"Water drawn from the river is never safe due to high contamination from animals and plants. Consumption of water from the river has severely caused stomach-related diseases to both students and staff," Lillian concluded.

Installing a borehole well that goes deeper than the dug well will provide sufficient water to meet everyone's needs throughout the year. Then, students and staff will not have to fight for each sip of water and can consume water they can trust whenever needed. They will also regain their time and energy to focus on learning.

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: Lukala Secondary School Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Lukala Secondary 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.

Fred and Cynthia 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!

"My learning will improve so much with this reliable water in that I'll never waste time in search of water. Instead this time will be used to study. Crowding and scrambling for water has come to an end, we have enough water in school now. Our meals will be ready and on time, and we will have enough water for drinking and even cleanliness. In short, everything will run smoothly, making my time in school very enjoyable. This can for sure result in good grades in my exams," shared 18-year-old student Fred.

Fred at the new waterpoint.

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

"Students in this school will have peace of mind while in class knowing that there will be no fight awaiting at the borehole, especially during the dry season. With plenty [of] water in school, cleanliness will go a notch higher. Cleaning activities will be done in a short time, and this will enable the students to be in class at the right time, thus boosting their academic performance. The students will also be involved in activities like farming courtesy of the new water point. This will boggle their minds to think wide about taking a career in agriculture, which is the backbone of Kenya," shared teacher Jemimmah Nekesa.

Teacher Jemimmah Nekesa.

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 started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 80 meters with a final static water level of 4.8 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.

Testing the yield.

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.

Crafting the cement pad.

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 base.

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

The well is complete and ready for use!

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

Boys outside their new 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

Cynthia utilizing the new 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.

School Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff. When the training day arrived, facilitators Lillian and Purity deployed to the site to lead the event. 19 students and teachers attended the training.

Training in session.

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.

Soapmaking lesson.

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.

"The participants were eager to learn. The attentiveness exhibited was of a higher level. Their interaction and contribution during the training made the whole session fun and enjoyable. They didn't mind that it was lunchtime time, and yet the training was still on," shared facilitator Lillian Achieng'.

Training.

16-year-old Cynthia is passionate about creating a cleaner world around her. It only made sense for her to become the chairperson of their hygiene club.

"All the topics were interesting but environmental hygiene stood out for me. The topic emphasized on what I have always believed in: [a] clean environment, clean people, clean life. I love planting trees and seeing the environment green. I love every place I am in to be clean. Being the hygiene club chairperson, this training will make my work easier in terms of programing students on how to keep the whole school clean. They have gotten the message, and I believe they now strongly believe in what I believe in. My work as a leader has been made easier," Cynthia boldly shared.

Cynthia rejoicing in clean water.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




December, 2024: Exciting Progress at Lukala Secondary School!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for the students and staff of Lukala Secondary School. Construction has begun on the new well project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the school with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water at Lukala Secondary School!




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 - The Larry Franklin Living Trust
3 individual donor(s)