Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Project Phase:  Reserved
Estimated Install Date (?):  2025

Project Features


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Community Profile

There are 1,000 day students, 415 boarding students, and 64 staff members at Isanjiro Primary School who do not have access to safe, sufficient water to meet their daily needs. The school has access to piped water and a community spring, but both options provide more problems than solutions.

The municipal piped water is channeled into the school's rainwater tank, which only works when water flows. It is not uncommon for it to be sporadic, especially during the dry season. The water's reliability is not the only issue because the cost to pay for the piped water is prohibitive and steals the school's resources for other important learning activities. At times, the school does not have the funds to pay for the water, so they must go without it.

Students going to collect water.

Collecting water from the community spring requires students to leave the school campus and make a tiring journey to the waterpoint. Once they arrive, they vie for a place in line and waste more time waiting to collect water, since the spring is shared with community members. This task steals precious time away from learning.

Students traversing the difficult journey.

"Accessing the spring is quite difficult because of the terrain, and there is no bridge between the community land and the school; making it so difficult for the students to cross over. They have to jump over, which is risky because they are prone to getting injured in the process; this makes them [have to] be accompanied by teachers each and every time they go for water. The accessibility also leads to [a] waste of time," said Field Officer Mildred Mboha.

The boarding students who live at the school feel the lack most profoundly. They need water to drink, prepare food, bathe, wash their clothing, and clean their living quarters. Water has to be severely rationed, making personal hygiene difficult and daily life burdensome.

"The population at the waterpoint makes fetching water long. Our school is highly populated, and so when we are sent out for water, we wait for so long in [the] queue. Because of my small body size, people take advantage of it, and often, I'm pushed back of the queue at the water source by those who feel they deserve to fetch water first," said 10-year-old boarding student Arthur.

Arthur.

"The water is rationed, and with our big population, we lack water most [of the] time. With no water in school, most activities needing water get to be delayed, making me feel that I'm suffering and that I should just [be a] day school [student] and not be a boarder. I feel that I'm being forced to do an activity that I don't like performing, as well as an activity my parents don't engage me in when I'm home," continued Arthur.

Arthur has hopes for the future, but he will need access to sufficient water for his dreams to come true.

"As an enthusiastic student, I look forward to holding a degree in the field of medicine, and this is fueled by my consistency in attending, actively participating in classes, and actively participating in the school health club," concluded Arthur.

Steps Toward a Solution

Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. They decided to drill a borehole well, construct a platform for the well, and attach a hand pump.

Well
Abundant water often lies just beneath our feet. Aquifers—natural underground rivers—flow through layers of sediment and rock, offering a constant supply of safe water. A borehole well is drilled deep into the earth to access this naturally filtered and protected water. We penetrate meters, sometimes even hundreds of meters, of soil, silt, rock, and more to reach the water underground. Once found, we construct a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute. Learn more here!

Handwashing Stations
Alongside each water source, we install two gravity-fed handwashing stations, enabling everyone at the school to wash their hands. Handwashing is crucial for preventing water-related illnesses within the school and community. Student “health clubs” maintain the stations, fill them with water, and supply them with soap, which we often teach them how to make.

Latrines
We will construct two Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine blocks designed to prevent fecal disease transmission. Each latrine features a cement floor, making it easy to use and clean regularly. Three stalls will serve the girls, and three will serve the boys.

School Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each school's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point.

To ensure a lasting impact, we support forming a student health club composed of elected student representatives and a teacher. These clubs promote hygiene practices schoolwide and keep handwashing stations well-stocked. This student-led model encourages a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the school and the surrounding community.

We're just getting started, check back soon!


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!


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