Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/14/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Africa Sand Dam Foundation. Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the Community

The Maiuni Self-Help Group is of Kithuiya village, Kiambwa sub-location, Kiteta location, of Kiteta division. Kithuiya Village has a population of 1050 people. (Editor’s Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. That's why a five-year program to access clean water and good hygiene makes so much sense! To learn more about this, click here.) The self-help group was formed in the 2011 by a total of 46 members, with 33 members being female and 13 males. The primary reason for forming the group was to increase water security for the area's residents. Other reasons were soil conservation through digging terraces; starting horticultural projects i.e. planting vegetables and fruit trees; and merry-go-round (a community fund-sharing program) to help members raise income that could help in paying school fees and meeting other basic needs.

Maiuni Self-Help Group has been working with ASDF for the last four years. Its top two priorities have been to increase water's availability through the construction of sand dams, and to conserve soil on farms through terracing and planting trees. The group has been able to construct two sand dams already. The sand dams have changed the lives of many community members, providing them with access to water throughout the year. The self-help group members have been able to grow great harvests, thus improving their family income levels. And more members of the community have started planting vegetables, which creates a greater water demand, and thus results in the community considering this construction of an additional water point to be used specifically for drinking.

Water Situation

Locals are getting water from their two sand dams. To access the water on reserve at the dams, scoop holes must be dug. These holes fill with water from the water table. Unfortunately, they are also open to contamination from surface runoff and human and animal activity. The water fetched from these scoop holes has greatly aided farmers in agriculture and domestic chores, but is not safe for drinking.

Women and children use 20-liter jerrycans for water, covering the water during the trip back home. Once water is returned home, it is dumped into a larger barrel with a 100 to 200-liter capacity. Water containers are cleaned once a week. You can see examples of these water containers under the "See Photos & Video" tab; both Winnie and Ruth have small containers for fetching water and larger ones for storage.

Sanitation Situation

Since the Maiuni Self-Help Group has already worked on their water and hygiene program for four years, their knowledge of important facilities, tools, and healthy practices is extensive. All households have a pit latrine, though each in a different condition according to income level. The cheapest are made of mud, while the most expensive are made of cement and include ventilation systems. These same families also have a dedicated room for personal hygiene, where members bathe, brush teethe, or cut their nails. About 75% of these homes have a usable hand-washing station, and most have dish racks and clotheslines.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

The benefits of training haven't even been limited to Maiuni Self-Help Group alone. Group members have been sharing their knowledge with all families, with or without membership. They want to see their entire village improve. Self-help group member Aaron Mbuva said, "After learning how to make tippy-taps (a type of hand-washing station) and treating water, we have also been sharing this with our neighbors who are not members of the self-help group. This will help reduce diseases for all families in the village!"

We will hold a review training that highlights the importance of keeping water containers clean. A session will also review water treatment methods such as chlorination and filtration. These sessions will be held over the course of one day.

Plans: Hand-Dug Well

This well is planned to be adjacent to the group's first dam, since the first dam has had the longest to mature. The mature sand dam has raised the water table enough that a hand-dug well will provide safe and adequate access to water, and the community hopes that this well will provide them with much cleaner water for use in their homes.

Construction for this well is projected to take about two months. The well will be lined with concrete and fitted with an AfriDev pump. Self-help group members will be trained on basic well maintenance, and have our contact information if anything major needs fixing.

Thank You for working with Maiuni Self-Help Group to unlock the potential of their community!

Project Updates


July, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Maiuni Community

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Maiuni, Kenya.

We trained community members on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19.

Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point,

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




December, 2017: A Year Later: Maiuni Hand-Dug Well

A year ago, generous donors helped build a hand-dug well for the Maiuni Self-Help Group in Kenya. Because of these gifts and our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner Mutheu Mutune with you.




Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.


A Year Later: Maiuni Hand-Dug Well

December, 2017

I am now able to concentrate more in class, and I sleep enough sleep. I used to dread going home after school because it included a routine that I go fetch water. I would return very late and tired, which affected my concentration in class the following morning. That is a thing of the past now!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Maiuni Community 2.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Maiuni Community 2 maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

A year ago, generous donors helped build a hand-dug well for the Maiuni Self-Help Group in Kenya. Because of these gifts and our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner Mutheu Mutune with you.


Before this project was implemented last year, clean and safe water for drinking was scarce here. The only way one could reach water was by digging scoop holes in the sandy riverbeds or by buying from water vendors. It has been of great benefit to the members and non-members who use the water for drinking and for household chores.

After the training, most members are now treating their drinking water, and as a result waterborne diseases have drastically decreased. Some members have started vegetable plots and cash crop farming of green beans to sell to a company called Kenya Fresh. They now supply the neighboring markets with green maize and other vegetables. Health has improved, since this clean drinking water has also supplied enough water for successful harvests.

Beatrice pumping clean water for Mr. Ngosi.

Stanley Ngosi is the secretary for Maiuni. He met us at the well to talk about how life has changed over the past year. He said, "Planting trees was a challenge for the people around here because water was scarce and this river used to dry up. Nowadays, our trees are surviving because even when the dam dries up, the well provides you with water throughout the dry season. Most members have irrigated their farms using this water and the crop yields have fetched money for them. The income received from these kinds of projects is used to meet basic needs like school fees, buying school uniforms, other clothes, food and such. The water is soft for washing clothes and we use little soap in doing our washing. The citrus fruits that I planted are almost mature and soon I’ll be getting an income. Some of the members use the water to make bricks, which they use in the construction of their homes."

Beatrice Nduku is so grateful to have water nearby. "Before this project we used to waste a lot of time walking long distances. Distance has now decreased and time taken reduced to less than 30 minutes. I have used the water to establish a tree nursery at our home, and the survival has been good compared to before. At our home we have made bricks using the water, which in turn have been used to construct my brother’s house. Our home is now presentable because of better structures. Some contagious diseases which used to get transmitted to our livestock before no longer exist because our livestock don’t go for long distances in search for drinking water. I am now able to concentrate more in class, and I sleep enough sleep. I used to dread going home after school because it included a routine that I go fetch water. I would return very late and tired, which affected my concentration in class the following morning. That is a thing of the past now! I get home and find that my mother has already cooked supper for us, so I just eat and do my homework, then take a bath and sleep," she shared with a smile.


The Water Project and our partners are committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by monthly donors, allows us to visit communities up to four times a year. Read more about our program and how you can help.


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 Maiuni Community 2 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 Maiuni Community 2 – 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.