Isanjiro Primary School

February, 2026: Isanjiro Primary School Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Isanjiro 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!

12-year-old Olympia knows deeply what clean, reliable water means for her. She shared, "Reliable water will improve things for me as a learner, and this is how: more time for learning. On occasions where we have missed water at school, we have had to leave school and go to a faraway spring in order to get water. This sometimes happens during school hours, [which] ends up disrupting the learning session. Having a reliable source will help change things and provide [a] water solution. This will provide more time for classwork and other activities."

Olympia.

She is excited about the lifestyle changes now possible with improved hygiene and sanitation facilities at her school as well. "Better hygiene and sanitation; having reliable water means I can wash my hands at all times, improving my hygiene and reducing the risk of getting sick. This also means that our classrooms and latrines will be washed and kept clean at all times, improving the level of sanitation. [It will bring] comfort and dignity, especially for us girls. For girls, having clean water and proper, private sanitation facilities at school is crucial, especially during menstruation. Without it, many girls feel embarrassed and might miss school during their periods. Reliable water means we can manage our hygiene with dignity and continue attending classes without interruption."

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

Teacher Patrick Misiko, 41, has seen the effects of water deprivation in his students. "Before the installation of the water point, there used to be a very high rate of pupil absenteeism and sickness. This was when the children had to seek medical care. Most of the time, the cases were incidences of waterborne diseases, for example, typhoid, amoeba, [and] dysentery, among others. With the new water point, I'm hopeful these cases will significantly reduce and that the children will be healthy and present in class. I hope [that] with the waterpoint, the students will be able to fully concentrate on the learning process. Dehydration negatively impacts cognitive functions, [which] lead to shorter attention spans, impaired memory, and reduced concentration. With this water point and accessibility to it, I hope there will be positive changes."

Mr. Patrick Misiko at the new well.

"We have a few building projects lined up for the school. For starters, we want to upgrade the bathrooms for the boarding school, right now what we are currently using does not portray the standards of the school. We believe this water point is going to come in handy to help in this and other development plans we have for the future," he added.

How We Got the Water Flowing

The first step was to conduct a hydrogeological survey to determine the best site for the school's well. Once we found the perfect spot, the team obtained government approval to begin drilling.

Parents, staff, and students all contributed to the well’s success 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 begins!

Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 90 meters with a final static water level of 7.1 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 storage of their 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.

Flushing the newly drilled well.

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.

Constructing the well 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 that this water was safe for drinking!

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

The well is complete!

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. The event provided an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the school administration and students, and to remind them of our continued support. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

VIP Latrines

Students in front of the new latrines!

This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. These new latrines feature cement floors designed for easy use and cleaning. 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

Students learn the proper steps of handwashing at the handwashing station.

We set up two handwashing stations outside the latrines. Student Health Club members will teach other students how to properly wash their hands at the stations, refill the stations with water, and ensure soap is always available.

School Education

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff. When the training day arrived, facilitators Patience Njeri and Daniel Mutuku deployed to the site to lead the event. Twenty-four students and teachers attended the training.

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.

Field Officer Patience Wanyonyi described the topic that garnered the most excitement and engagement during the training sessions!

"The soapmaking demonstration was one that sparked the most interest and discussion. The participants were really interested in knowing exactly how the soap was going to be made. Gabriel, one of the students, was particularly interested in seeing how everything would turn out. He said, "Initially, I used to think that the soap was only made by huge machines. I am interested to see the outcome of this demonstration." The learners had many questions about chemical reactions. By the end of the demonstration, all learners were happy with the outcome and even went ahead to ask for contact information on where to get the soap ingredients so they can teach others, especially their parents."

Soapmaking session.

Inversely, the topic of menstrual hygiene proved tricky to handle. The purpose of discussing it with all students is to counter the strong stigma surrounding menstrual hygiene. The facilitators were pros and drew the students in, despite initial reticence!

Menstrual hygiene lesson.

"Menstrual hygiene was not an easy topic for the learners. Most of them were really shy and closed off, and no one wanted to start us off. We first started by handling the myths, like it is taboo for men to know about periods, among other myths. After that, both boys and girls came around and actively participated in the discussion," Patience shared.

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.

Branice.

11-year-old Branice is a member of the student health club at Isanjiro Primary School. She was deeply impacted by the training. She eagerly shared, "I am now a firm believer that menstrual hygiene is not an embarrassing thing, and we can talk about it without the stigma it comes with. Also, now I know how to make soap. I am excited to have learnt about this. I am hoping to teach others and make some for my family to help with cleaning at home, which will help improve our hygiene practices at home."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2026: Exciting Progress at Isanjiro Primary School!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Arthur and the entire Isanjiro Primary School. Construction has begun on the 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 community 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 Isanjiro Primary School!