Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 140 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Aug 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/05/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Mulwakhi Secondary School is situated on Luanda Emusire Road. The students normally report for school at exactly 6:30am and leave at 6pm each evening. A normal day starts with morning assembly when teachers make announcements, then normal classes, at 8am. The school started in 2014, meaning that this is the first year they'll have students taking college entry exams. The school has a total of 130 students, not a big number, but is growing each year.

There are seven teachers, two security officers, and one school cook.

We connected with the school through quite a chain of people. A student at this school received clean water through a spring protection project in his community. He shared more information about us with his classmate, whose father is one of the security guards, Mr. Ainea Gongo. He then shared our contact information with the headteacher, who contacted us directly to ask for help.

Water Situation

Mulwakhi Secondary School has no water. To keep running, they must send students out into the community to find water to use for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Students report that they always walk to Mulwakhi Spring to get their water because it's protected from contamination. However, students have open containers that they lug all the way back to school, and these containers are dirty and uncovered. The administration is concerned that water is contaminated by the time it's consumed.

Students are often out sick with diarrhea, whether it's the dirty water they're drinking or the poor hygiene and sanitation at the school. Either way, students are missing class just to fetch this dirty water and bring it back.

Sanitation Situation

The school has three latrines, one of them for boys and the other two for girls. There is no latrine set aside for staff. Students have to line up for a long time until it's their turn, and some can't bear the wait and have to seek privacy elsewhere. The pits are almost full, and the doors are coming off their hinges.

There is nowhere for students to wash their hands after. Ainea Gongo is not only a security guard at the school, but is a concerned parent who told us, "The students have always had a bad tendency of going to the toilets and not washing their hands. After that, this has led to frequent cases of stomach pains and diarrhea. This can be avoided by having a hand-washing tank in place such that students wash their hands immediately after visiting the toilet. There is also a belief that soap is not used while washing hands; this can be taught to the entire community, the advantages of washing hands with soap."

What we can do:

Training and Handwashing

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. This CTC club will oversee the new facilities, such as handwashing stations, and make sure they are kept clean and in working condition. The two handwashing 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 serve the girls while the other three serve the boys. 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 be responsible for going out into the community to find water.

We and the school strongly believe that with this assistance, standards will significantly improve. These higher standards will translate to better academic performance!

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 (edited for clarity) thanks to the hard work of our friends in Kenya.

Project Updates


September, 2019: Giving Update: Mulwakhi Secondary School

A year ago, your generous donation helped Mulwakhi Secondary School in Kenya access clean water.

There’s an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water at Mulwakhi Secondary School. Month after month, their giving supports ongoing sustainability programs that help this school maintain access to safe, reliable water. Read more…




August, 2018: Mulwakhi Secondary School Project Complete

A new rainwater catchment system was built! Mulwakhi Secondary School in Kenya now has a new source of safe, clean water thanks to your support. Handwashing stations were installed so that students can clean up after using their new latrines, and students and staff have received training in sanitation and hygiene.

New Knowledge

We planned hygiene and sanitation training with the help of the school principal. Representatives of every gender were carefully selected from parents, staff and student body. These participants are representatives in their school and community, promoting the health and hygiene practices they learned.

We expected a total of 15 participants, but 18 people turned up for the training. Our trainers were still able to meet the learning needs of the three other local parents who wanted to be there. The turnout was attributed to the love the locals have for their school. We met under a tree outside the classrooms. Being a school holiday, nobody else was within the compound so there were no distractions at all.

We covered several topics, including bathing, oral hygiene, and handwashing with soap as a barrier from germs; operation and maintenance of the new facilities, with each person understanding their role for long-lasting clean water and good health.

Oral health carried the day. The participants were so interested in dental hygiene. It was sad that most participants had a challenge with their teeth: either tooth sensitivity, bleeding gums, cavities, or rotting teeth. They were surprised to discover how the simple routine of brushing teeth with toothpaste or other locally available materials was the best way to prevent all of those challenges.

Nobody thought they could afford toothpaste, but it turns out that whenever they had a tube they'd use a ton when brushing. Learning about how little they had to use each brush, they admitted they'd be able to afford tubes of toothpaste.

"I discovered that we all can afford toothpaste. It is just because we had been misusing it, thinking that the more we use, the better it works on our teeth. Right now we shall start using a little quantity twice a day and we have to brush correctly as you have taught us today for better results," a student said.

Washing hands with soap also impressed every participant. They were shocked to discover that washing hands clean was one of the most important steps to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. The participants couldn't believe how easily their hands could get dirty. They were told that we cannot see germs with our own naked eyes and that pathogens are found on surfaces that we constantly touch.

"We are very grateful for this training!" Student Brian Oywaya said.

"We have acquired a lot of information concerning personal hygiene and why we need to wash our hands with soap. We used to take the art of proper handwashing for granted, but since today we will make it a point to practice all the hygiene tips we have gotten. We have also been helped a lot about oral health. Dental diseases have become so common, but due to ignorance or lack of right information, most of us have done the wrong things to our aching teeth. Today provides the turning point on this matter."

Handwashing Stations

Pupils can now enjoy washing their hands with soap thanks to the two handwashing stations that were delivered to their school. Before, there was nowhere to wash hands. These new handwashing opportunities will help reduce cases of hygiene-related illness. The training on hygiene has motivated these students to share what they’ve learned both with their peers at school and families at home.

VIP Latrines

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

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.

Sand delivery!

The 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.

Then, we cleared the site: excavating the soil within the required measurements to make level ground for the tank foundation. The foundation was cast by laying stones 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.

Dome construction could begin after the superstructure had been given enough time to settle. 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.

Finally, the catchment area was dug, plastered, and a staircase installed.

Once finished, the tank was given three weeks to undergo complete curing before it was cleaned and handed over to Mulwakhi Secondary School, though we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program.

Keeping the cement slightly damp so that it will dry without cracking.

"We are very happy about this water project and as the students who have benefited a lot, we will take great care of the tank and ensure that it serves even those who will join the school after us. This tank has come to give us hope and cut our trips out of school to fetch water from community springs. It shall greatly help us to improve on our school sanitation and students' hygiene," student Sylvia Nyangweso said.




June, 2018: Mulwakhi Secondary School Project Underway

We're excited to share that artisans have arrived at Mulwakhi Secondary School to build a rainwater catchment tank and latrines. As construction progresses, students, teachers, and parent representatives will attend an important training about their health at school, home, and the greater community. Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to reaching out again with news of clean water!




April, 2018: News from Mulwakhi Secondary School

Dear Friends, we just received word from the field that the tank and latrine construction are delayed. We're moving the completion date back by three months. We continue to work with this school as they prepare for our artisans.

Thank you for standing with us to provide clean water for these students!




January, 2018: Mulwakhi Secondary School Project Underway

Mulwakhi Secondary 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.




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: Mulwakhi Secondary School

September, 2019

A year ago, your generous donation helped Mulwakhi Secondary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Truphena Nyangai. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Mulwakhi Secondary 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!

Project implementation at Mulwakhi Secondary School has brought about a positive impact on the institution.

On a recent routine field visit there, we were told how immediately after handing over the facility to the school a little over a year ago, the school has experienced tremendous improvements. This was so fulfilling to hear our hopes for this school realized.

When one gets to the school's compound, immediately you spot a clean and quiet environment and students well dressed in clean uniforms. Both the toilets and the water point are well maintained and in a good state, an indicator that the school has indeed appreciated the facilities.

A visit to the various classrooms shows the level of cleanliness due to routine cleaning, thanks to the availability of water. These are all clear markers of the impact of not just improved access to water, but of the hygiene and sanitation training conducted at the school last year.

"As an organization, we have experienced tremendous changes which include [the] availability of clean, safe, and sufficient water at all times," said Deputy Head Teacher Aggrey Kadagi.

Deputy Head Teacher Aggrey Kadagi at the rain tank

"Installation of the sanitation facilities has helped the school have enough toilets for the entire population...Our students now have ample time [to do] their studies and this can [be] related to the availability of water in the school."

Student at the rain tank

16-year-old student Truphena Nyangai shared how these projects have impacted her and her classmates in their first year since installation.

"Before [the] implementation of the facility in our school, we used to draw water from outside the school's compound but this changed immediately after installation," she said.

"I am now able to concentrate on my studies as much [more] time is available. My personal hygiene standards have improved greatly after the hygiene and sanitation training. I am able to learn in a clean environment as every day we clean our classes with water which is available in the school's compound. I am now able to drink water that is clean, having been treated."

Aggrey (left) and Truphena (right) with other student (center) at the rain tank

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 Mulwakhi Secondary 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 Mulwakhi Secondary 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 Underwriter - Jacki and Rob
1 individual donor(s)