August, 2021: Muting'ong'o Primary School Project Complete!

Muting'ong'o Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new source of safe, clean water thanks to the completion of their rain tank, which can collect 75,000 liters of water! We installed new latrines and handwashing stations for students, and we trained the school on improved sanitation and hygiene practices, including COVID-19 prevention. These components work together to unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

"Access to reliable, safe water will impact my life positively. This is because not only will I be in school full time to study, but also it will save my parents from spending money on drugs when I get sick. Every coin that they will get will support my education and also ensure that I [am] fed healthy to strengthen my immunity," said Daniel B., a 12-year-old student.

Teachers were just as excited as the students about the new rain tank on campus.

"Access to clean, safe, and reliable water in a school set up is a dream for every Head Teacher. This is because lack of clean water has got many negative effects, beginning from poor performance, low attendance rate, [and] poor health for both teachers and pupils. Now that we have been blessed to have reliable, clean water, our lives will change for good. No more absenteeism and wasting of time looking for water. All the energy will now be converted to recovering the lost time and thus improve our performance," said Head Teacher Clare Soita Mmbasa.

How We Go From Ground to Rain Tank

Construction for this 75,000-liter rain tank was successful!

Parents, staff, and students helped our artisans gather everything needed for construction. The school's kitchen staff and a few parents helped provide meals for the artisans, while the school provided the artisans' accommodations. Local women and men helped our artisans with their manual labor, too.

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

Then, we cleared the site by excavating the soil to make level ground for the tank foundation. We cast the foundation by laying big stones on the level ground and reinforcing them using steel wire, concrete, and waterproof cement. We affixed both the drawing pipe and the drainage pipe as we laid the foundation.

Next, we formed the walls using a skeleton of rebar and wire mesh with sugar sacks temporarily tied to the outside as backing. We attached this to the foundation's edges so that the work team could start the Ferro-cementing process. They began layering the walls with cement, alternating with the inner and outer side until six cement layers were in place. (The sugar sacks are removed once the interior receives its first two layers of cement.)

Inside the tank, we cast one central and four support pillars to ensure the dome does not cave in once cemented. Meanwhile, we plastered the inner wall while roughcasting the outer walls. We dug and plastered the access area to the tap outside the tank, installing a short staircase. In front of the access area, we constructed a soak pit where spilled water can drain from the access area through the ground. The pit helps to keep the tap area dry and tidy.

Dome construction could begin after the tank walls settled. We attached a dome skeleton of rebar, wire mesh, and sugar sacks to the tank walls before cementing and plastering it using similar techniques as the wall construction. We included a small manhole cover into the dome to allow access for future cleanings and water treatments.

We propped long wooden poles (about 75 of them!) inside the tank to support the dome while it cured. Then it was down to the finishing touches: fitting a lockable cover over the tap area, affixing the gutters to the roof and tank, and setting an overflow pipe in place at the edge of the dome for when the tank reaches capacity.

Once finished, we gave the rain tank three to four weeks to undergo complete curing. Finally, we removed the interior support poles and dome sugar sacks and cleaned the tank.

We officially handed over the rain tank to the school directly following the training. Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. The event was an excellent chance for us to acknowledge the school administration and students as the primary parties entrusted with the tools we have given and remind them of our continued support as they develop. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day flowing in all directions.

The school headteacher and the pupils gathered at the center of the school grounds and explained the project. You could sense the excitement in the air. A pupil offered thanks to the project team, teachers, and parents for ensuring that they will no longer have to go outside the school in search of water.

VIP Latrines

This project funded six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, three for the girls and three for the boys. These new latrines have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean, locking doors for safety and privacy, and vents designed to keep air flowing up and out through the roof. With a rain tank right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.

Handwashing Stations

The two handwashing stations were set up during training and handed over to the student health club. These were placed outside of the girls' and boys' latrines to encourage handwashing after latrine use. Health club members will teach other students how to wash their hands at the stations properly, make sure the stations are filled with water, and ensure that there is always a cleaning agent such as soap or ash available.

New Knowledge

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school's staff, who ensured that the training date would be convenient for pupils and teachers. When the training day arrived, facilitators Jemmimah Khasoha and Victor Musemi deployed to the site to lead the event. Twenty students and teachers attended the training, which we held outside the classrooms under a tree beside the road.

We focused on COVID-19 prevention, transmission, and symptoms while also covering several other topics. These included personal hygiene such as bathing, oral hygiene, and the ten steps of handwashing; environmental hygiene; child rights; operation and maintenance of the rain tank, latrines, and handwashing stations; and leadership and governance. During the latter, the students elected their peers to lead their newly formed student health club.

The club will be significantly involved in the water, sanitation, and hygiene project management at school. It will encourage good health and hygiene practices amongst their peers, teachers, and the larger community. We involved stretches, dances, and physical activities between each topic to keep the pupils' energy up and their minds active. By the end of the training, each pupil understood their role in sustaining clean water and good health within their school community.

The most memorable topic was soap making. Every participant was attentive and eager to learn because soap making is a helpful skill that can also be a source of income.

"The training was very timely and valuable. The knowledge gained will not only help me as an individual, but also as a teacher and the head of the school. What I loved most was soap-making. I'm happy for I will not spend any more money on buying diluted soap which is of poor quality and of little help to the school. I am now fully equipped with knowledge and skills on how to make quality soap both at school and in my family. Pupils will have enough soap for washing hands, cleaning the toilets and also the classrooms. Indeed, our school will never be the same again," said Clare Soita Mmbasa, Head Teacher.

"The training was very good for it reminded us of what many people had stopped doing. We learned that hand washing was a technique, but my many pupils used to ignore it. Now that we have been taught in detail, I will be at the forefront ensuring that everyone is following the rules, thus fight the pandemic together," said Daniel B.

We asked Daniel what it was like to be at home for most of the last year due to Kenya's national coronavirus-related school closures and what it has been like coming back to school.

"What I missed most was school life generally," Daniel said. "When schools are on, at least I get to have a bath, read, and do assignments, and also play with my fellow pupils. During our playtime, we could remind each other of what we learned in class, but all this was history when this pandemic hit the world."

He went on to say, "Getting back to school is awesome. Just imagine if we could not have come [back to school]. It means this project would not have come our way, and I could not get the information and the knowledge that I have received from this training. I feel good to be in school because I know my career is being built, unlike if I was home."

When an issue arises concerning the water project, the students and teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our field officers to assist them. Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

July, 2021: Muting'ong'o Primary School Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Muting'ong'o 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 with more good news!