Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 502 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/10/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

A lot of different activities happen during a normal day at Womulalu Primary School. It starts with morning assembly, when students gather outside to listen to announcements from the headteacher. There are bathroom breaks between classes until lunch, which is served on school grounds.

After afternoon classes, groups of students are required to bring five-liter jerrycans to a spring located a half kilometer away from school. Normally, boys are required to fetch the water, and girls are expected to use that water to clean classrooms and latrines. After this, there is another assembly for children to be dismissed.

There are 484 students enrolled, all taught by 16 teachers. The school also employs two support staff.

Water

There is a 6,000-liter plastic tank outside of the classrooms. Between classrooms, some students always head over to the tank to try and get some water. Unfortunately, so much water is needed to run a school with hundred of students, and 6,000 liters is never enough. A teacher always beats students to the tank and restricts access.

Teacher Jonathan Warua said, "These children suffer a lot because they get it really hard to get water from the spring, given that the water tank at the school cannot serve the whole school fully."

The tank is primarily reserved for the teacher's drinking needs and for the kitchen to cook school lunch. If students are thirsty, they are expected to find a group to fetch water with. The closest water source is Womulalu Spring. Though it has a head wall and discharge pipe that makes it easier to fill a bucket with water, the walk back and forth is tiring for these students, and a lot of time is wasted out of the classroom. After drinking this water, students often have to go home because of diarrhea and stomachaches.

Sanitation

There are six latrines for boys and six for the girls. These are too few and the pits are almost too full to use. Students have to wait in long lines for their turn and often miss the beginning of their next class.

There are no hand-washing stations.

Here's what we're going to do about it:

Training

Training will be held for two days. The facilitator will use PHAST (participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation), ABCD (asset-based community development), CTC (child to child), lectures, group discussions, and handouts to teach health topics and ways to promote good practices within the school. The CTC method will prepare students to lead other students into healthy habits, as well as kickstart a CTC club for the school.

Hand-Washing Stations

This CTC club will oversee the new facilities, such as hand-washing stations, and make sure they are kept clean and in working condition. The two hand-washing stations will be delivered to the school, and the club will fill them with water on a daily basis and make sure there is always a cleaning agent such as soap or ash.

VIP Latrines

Two triple-door latrines will be constructed with local materials that the school will help gather. Three doors will be set aside for each gender. And with a new source of water on school grounds, students and staff should have enough to keep these new latrines clean.

Rainwater Catchment Tank

A 50,000-liter rainwater catchment tank will help alleviate the water crisis at this school. The school will also help gather the needed materials such as sand, rocks, and water from the spring for mixing cement. Once finished, this tank can begin catching rainfall that will be used by the school’s students and staff. Students will no longer have to leave the school whenever water is needed.

We and the school strongly believe that with this assistance, standards will significantly improve – and these higher standards will translate to better academic performance for these students.


This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water And Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to provide the reports for this project (formatted and edited for readability) thanks to the hard work of our friends in Kenya.

Project Updates


July, 2019: Giving Update: Womulalu Primary School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to build a rainwater tank for Womulalu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories. Read more…




April, 2018: Womulalu Primary School Project Complete

Womulalu Primary School in Kenya now has a new source of safe, clean water thanks to your generous donation. A new rainwater catchment system was built and there are now six new latrines in use. Two hand-washing stations were installed, and students received training in sanitation and hygiene.

New Knowledge

The headteacher selected ten students from across all classes to represent the others in our hygiene and sanitation training. The PTA chairwoman and the board chairman represented parents, plus three teachers who attended the training on behalf of all school staff.

The participants actively listened, asked questions, and participated in activities. They were most interested in how to maintain the rainwater catchment tank as well as why cancer cases are on the rise in their area.

We taught that hygiene entails personal hygiene, water and food hygiene, and environmental hygiene. Attention needs to be given to each facet of hygiene to enjoy a healthy life.

We covered topics including but not limited to:

– Water pollution and water treatment

– Health starts with a clean self and clean environment

– Group dynamics, leadership, and governance

– Forming an effective CTC (child to child) club

– Hand-washing

Demonstrations were used for hand-washing, tooth-brushing, solar disinfection, and many other topics. We facilitated group discussions and presentations, and students took part in role-plays. The students also received handouts to help them teach hygiene and sanitation to their peers.

Teaching the students how to brush their teeth properly.

The CTC club includes both students and teachers who want to take responsibility for spreading the message of good health and hygiene among their peers. They are responsible for managing hand-washing stations, cleaning latrines, and keeping the school environment tidy. A water user committee was formed by parents and school administration, which is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the new facilities.

Caroline Aseyo is a parent of students at Womulalu. She didn't know what to expect when she was invited to training, but now she's glad she was there.

"I am so impressed at what WEWASAFO is doing in this community. It is beyond just providing clean water and safe sanitation facilities," she said.

"This I didn't know. For sure, this project has become the pride and joy of not only Womulalu Primary School but the entire village. The health and hygiene tips we have acquired today will indeed spur us into the new standards of living."

VIP Latrines

This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. All of these latrines are easy to use and clean. And with a rainwater catchment tank, there should be enough water to keep them clean all the time.

Hand-Washing Stations

The two hand-washing stations were delivered to school and handed over to the CTC club. These were placed outside of the boys’ and girls’ latrines to encourage hand-washing after latrine use. CTC club members teach other students how to properly wash their hands at these stations, and make sure there is always soap or ash available. Now the school has the stations they need and the water to fill them.

Rainwater Catchment Tank

Construction for this 50,000-liter rainwater catchment tank was successful!

Parents, staff, and students helped our artisans gather everything needed for construction. All the while, women cooked meals for the artisans, and the school provided accommodations for the artisans during their work. Local men and women helped our artisans with their manual labor, too.

Students helping carry bricks to the construction site.

The construction process officially began with our staff and school administration looking around the school compound to try and determine the best location for a new rainwater catchment tank. This needed to be the best site with good, clean roofing to catch the rainwater.

Rainwater tank construction began with clearance of the site: excavating the soil within the required measurements to make level ground for the tank foundation. The foundation was cast by laying hardcore on a level ground and then reinforcing it using steel, concrete and waterproof cement.

Both the drawing pipe as well as the washout pipe were affixed, as the foundation was lain. The wall was built with ferro-cement techniques through six layers. The inner wall was plastered while rough casting was done on the outer part. The catchment area was dug, plastered, and a staircase installed.

The dome construction followed as the foundation was lain. The manhole cover was fitted, inlet pipes were connected to the roof gutters, inlet screens, ventilation pipes (breathers) and overflow pipes were all done to standard.

The tank was given three to four weeks to undergo complete curing before it was cleaned and taken over by Womulalu Primary School.

"Our spirits have been lifted," Board Chairman Juma Alex said.

"The perennial, habitual and demeaning act of carrying water from home and springs by our children is now pushed to the periphery. With this huge tank in our compound, we know for a fact that much of the academic time that was one lost will be redeemed. There will be less absenteeism because there will be less waterborne disease."

He and his students gathered around to celebrate as we handed the facilities over for them to use. Smiles were all around as we witnessed clean water coming from the tap!




January, 2018: Womulalu Primary School Project Underway

Womulalu Primary School in Kenya has begun building a new source of safe, clean water because of your generous donation. A rainwater catchment tank and new latrines are being constructed, hand-washing stations provided, and the school is being trained on proper sanitation and hygiene practices. Imagine the impact this will have on these students! Thank you for noticing the need here, and we’ll keep you posted as the work continues. But for now, please enjoy the new stories, pictures, and maps of this school.

Thank You for partnering with us to unlock potential!




Project Photos


Project Type

For a rainwater collection system, we build gutters around a building with good, clean roofing to channel rain where we want it. From there, the water falls through a filtered inlet pipe into a high-capacity storage tank, the size of which is based on population and average rainfall patterns. In the tank, water can be stored for months, where it is easily treated and accessed. Learn more here!


Giving Update: Womulalu Primary School

May, 2019

A year ago, you funded a rainwater tank at Womulalu Primary School in Kenya – creating a life-changing moment for Joan Mwenesi. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Womulalu Primary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Womulalu Primary School 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!

There is an increased sense of order and calmness with how the school runs through its daily activities. Lessons are attended by teachers and students without disruptions! Before the rainwater tank was built, lesson interruptions were common and people could easily spot schoolchildren walking along the road in search of water. But with the tank, water is collected during class breaks when children are allowed to relax and wait for their next lessons.

Besides, the entire school compound looks neat and clean. This project has affected both the pupils and their environment because they have embraced the health messages taught during the sanitation and hygiene training, too.

"The shame on the faces of our pupils has been turned into self-esteem instead. And now we are peaceful and very confident that the joint effort put in by Womulalu School Community to fight ignorance, diseases, and poverty will ultimately bear fruits," shared Eunice Kanaga, the teacher in charge of sanitation and the CTC student health club we established last year.

"The school has won increased support from parents who are happy that classes are no longer interrupted and learning takes place very well!"

Jacqualine Shigali with Eunice Kanga at the rainwater tank

We also got to speak with 13-year-old Joan when she got a break from class.

"For me and my friends, it is a big win on our part that we are no longer required to carry water from home or to fetch water from outside the school compound. This has helped us save quality academic time," Joan said.

"Drinking clean water is not the only privilege for us, but the same water has enabled us to keep our classroom environment a clean and good place to be."

Joan runs water over her hands at the tank's tap


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 Womulalu Primary School 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 Womulalu Primary School – 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.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - First Light Asset Management