Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2019

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/06/2024

Project Features


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It was a hot and sunny day when we arrived at Khabukoshe Primary School. This school was established in 1938 with a population of 100 pupils. Since then, it has grown to a population of 700 pupils.

It is located in a busy area with business men and women who work at Harambee Shopping Center. The place is very green with maize growing along the roadside.

The teachers lead classes in mathematics, English, Kiswahili, science, and social studies. However, their students' success in these subjects is disrupted by the conditions in which they must attend school.

There is no clean water source on school grounds. There is an open, unprotected hand-dug well there. This is essentially a hole in the ground with a hatch over it. On the day of our visit, this well was dry and students had to carry containers of water from home that morning.

Students are at risk of falling in the well when fetching water. When the well has water, students tie a rope to a bucket and lower it down.

This lack of safe water for drinking means that pupils don't drink water throughout the day. The school cook uses this water to make lunch, which compromises the health of students who eat lunch there. When students need to carry water from home, they arrive tired and worn out from the heavy weight of their water containers.

What we can do:

Training

Our visits and interviews at the school showed us that students need training on personal hygiene, environmental hygiene, water pollution, dental hygiene, and handwashing.

Training on good hygiene habits 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.

Handwashing Stations

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

"Sometimes I am not able to use the latrines since they are very dirty," said Pauline Mmbasu.

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 for mixing cement. Once finished, this tank can begin catching rainfall that will be used by the school’s students and staff.

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

Project Updates


May, 2019: Khabukoshe Primary School Project Complete

There is a new rainwater catchment system at Khabukoshe Primary School! Students have a 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.

Rainwater Catchment Tank

Construction of this new rainwater catchment tank was a big success. Really, we mean big! Upon further evaluation of the water needs for 722 students, our team decided to built a large 75,000-liter rainwater catchment tank.

"Water availability was a big issue, as the parents were always complaining about having their children out of class to get water for the school every time," said Teacher Ombur.

"We are very grateful for considering us to put up such a big water tank in our school."

The Process:

Our staff and the school administration started by looking around the school to determine the best location for their new rainwater catchment tank. This needed to be the best site with good, clean roofing to catch the rainwater.

Upon decision of the construction site, the top earth layer is excavated and cleared. Stones are then carefully packed onto the excavated area to create a strong foundation. Being a 75,000-liter ferro-cement water tank, the required area is a little bigger than other tanks.

Students helped by delivering water used to mix cement

The foundation is cast with sand, cement, ballast, and waterproof cement. As this is being done, the wall's skeleton of wire mesh and rebar is erected and secured into the foundation. Upon completion of the foundation, the walls are cemented and plastered to completion both inside and outside.

The catchment area is dug, plastered, and a staircase installed so students can easily get water from the tap. A metal cover with a lock is placed over the catchment area to avoid water wastage.

Concrete reinforcement pillars are built up to support the large dome, which is also made of a strong wire mesh and concrete. A hatch is installed in the dome to allow the tank to be cleaned out before heavy rain, and the gutter system is also installed at this time.

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

Handwashing Stations

Pupils can now enjoy washing their hands with soap thanks to the two handwashing stations that were delivered to their school. 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 with their peers at school and families at home.

Handwashing stations were placed right outside of the new latrines

VIP Latrines

This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit latrines, three for the boys and three for the girls. 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.

New Knowledge

Hygiene and sanitation training was planned with the heal of the deputy headteacher. The deputy, who was the topmost leadership in the school at the time, secured a room and randomly picked 20 pupils out of classes 4, 5, 6 and 7 to represent the rest of the school in the training. The 21 students in attendance formed a child to child (CTC) health club that will share what they learned with their peers and families at home.

Students received new notebooks and pens to jot down important health information they want to remember

Everyone was actively involved and participated in the training with great focus. However, the girls seemed to be more active compared to the boys, who were a little shy.

The students and their teachers needed knowledge on how to improve standards of hygiene and ensure that the sanitation facilities given to them are well-maintained for years to come. Some of the topics we covered included:

- water pollution and treatment methods
- handwashing


- dental hygiene


- operations and maintenance of the facilities

Meeting outside at the new tank to learn about proper care and general use

- group dynamics along with leadership and governance for the newly formed CTC health club

The group was trained on leadership and its importance in growth and development. This session also involved the election of the club's representative leaders. What made this special? This session was special because almost all of the pupils wanted to be part of the CTC leadership. They vied for the positions like normal adults would and even created another position to assist in running the program.

"This training is by far more educative than what other people receive. I have seen water tanks being constructed and they fall apart even before they serve the people they were meant to serve. If we are going to benefit from this project, then this training was what we needed the most," said Teacher Ombur.

Thank You for making all of this possible!




March, 2019: Khabukoshe Primary School Project Underway

A severe clean water shortage at Khabukoshe Primary School drains students’ time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this school through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out again with news of success!




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 Udpate: Khabukoshe Primary School

February, 2021

A year ago, your generous donation helped Khabukoshe Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Mitchelle. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Khabukoshe 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!

"Before the project, we used to go to the spring out there," said Mitchelle, pointing into the village.

"It was tiresome as we had to go there more than once."

"Now, school is fun as the tank is big and has lots of water."

"We now wash our classes almost every day and water our flowers."

"Having water has helped us get time for games and the afternoon classes."


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 Khabukoshe 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 Khabukoshe 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.