Khaunga Health Center

May, 2025: Khaunga Health Center Well Complete!

Your contribution has given access to clean water for the Khaunga Health Center in Kenya, thanks to the completion of their borehole well! Staff, patients, and their families are already using the well’s flowing water, which will provide the health center with a reliable water source for all of its daily needs.

Nurse Robert Simiyu said, "Access to clean and reliable water is a fundamental necessity in any health care facility. It plays a critical role in supporting the health, safety, and well-being of both the nurses and patients. Clean water ensures proper hygiene and sanitation in this facility. This leads to a safer and more comfortable work environment for us, contributing to job satisfaction and emotional well-being. It allows us to perform essential tasks such as sterilizing equipment, cleaning wounds, and handwashing. Patients are able to recover faster and return to their daily lives. A clean environment gives patients a sense of dignity and care, which can positively affect their mental outlook and motivation to achieve their future goals."

Nurse Simiyu.

"The facility plans to expand services such as maternity care and surgical procedures. These services require strict hygiene standards, which will be supported by the availability of clean water. The facility also plans to build more wards for admission for both males and females. This will ease the congestion of patients in one room," he continued.

Another nurse, Charity Vidola, is excited for the potential that clean water brings to the health center.

Nurse Charity Vidola.

"With accessible clean water, the health care facility can achieve higher standards of care, [and] strengthen its services. The facility can use the water source to support hygiene education programs, handwashing campaigns, and public health outreach promoting wellness beyond the facility walls," shared Nurse Vidola.

How We Got the Water Flowing

Staff and community members all contributed to this well’s success. After determining the best site for the well through a hydrogeological survey, we obtained approval from the government to begin drilling.

To prepare, everyone helped collect fine sand and water for cement-making. Our drill team and staff arrived at the center to begin work when everything was ready.

Drilling underway!

Drilling started with excitement in the air. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 100 meters with a final static water level of 12.42 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.

Once we reached the required depth, a permanent casing was installed, and the dirty water at the bottom of the well was bailed out. Workers installed pipes, flushed them, tested the well’s yield, and chlorinated the water.

After chlorination, 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.

Constructing the well pad.

We included a short drainage channel and a soak pit to carry spilled water away from the pump and prevent standing water.

When the well pad was dry, we installed a new stainless steel hand pump and performed a water quality test. The results showed that this water was safe for drinking!

The enthusiasm for this much-anticipated project was overwhelming. We officially gave ownership of the new borehole to health center staff and the local community members.

The well is complete!

Everyone celebrated the health center’s new water source. The celebration was a great opportunity to acknowledge the staff and remind them of our continued support. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

"The recipients, that is, the doctor in charge, nurses, workers, and the community around, could not hide their joy. They were all happy, and everyone wanted to have the first taste of the water. The workers around the facility wanted water so that they [could] wash the bedding from the wards. It was a beautiful scene to see how excited they were to receive the new waterpoint," shared field officer Adelaide Nasimiyu.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the health center staff and the community. When the training day arrived, field officers Jacqueline Kangu, Adelaide Nasimiyu, Joyce Naliaka, and Mercy Odongo deployed to the site to lead the event. 53 people attended the training.

During our training, we covered a range of essential topics, including personal, oral, food, and environmental hygiene. We discussed disease prevention strategies, the ten-step handwashing protocol, and the construction of handwashing facilities. Additionally, we talked about safe water handling, maintenance, and operation of water points, and principles of leadership and governance.

Field Officer Adelaide Nasimiyu shared that the topic the staff shared was most influential was common diseases. She said, "The health care facility worker stood up to teach people about HIV and AIDS. One of the community members said that they know that the disease is there, but it was shameful to talk about it because it is a disease brought by prostitution. The nurse in charge said that at the moment, they didn't have the ARVs to give out to the infected patients, so it would be better for them to listen, learn, and take precautions. This made them [feel at] ease and listen to the nurse. The nurse said that preventing the transmission of HIV is vital to reducing the burden of the disease, promoting [a] healthier community, and empowering young people to live fulfilling lives. She added that recently the facility has had many victims of HIV AIDS, and the sad part is the youth. She urged parents to talk to their children that HIV AIDS is real."

Barnabas (orange shirt and notepad) takes notes during the soapmaking training.

Farmer Barnabas Muchelule participated in the training. He said, "This training has really changed how I think about hygiene in our community. Before, I didn't realize how small habits like not washing hands or leaving waste uncovered could cause so many illnesses. Now, I see the importance of working together as a community to keep our surroundings clean, use latrines properly, and make sure everyone understands the importance of hygiene. I feel more responsible and more confident to teach others what I've learned."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

April, 2025: Exciting Progress in Khaunga Health Center!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Dr. Robert Simiyu and the entire Khaunga Health Center. 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 the Khaunga Health Center!