September, 2021: Samitsi Special School Rain Tank Project Complete!

Samitsi Special School in Kenya now has access to a new source of safe, clean water thanks to the completion of their rain tank! 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 will unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

"I no longer have to go to the primary section to fetch water," said 13-year-old Damaris. "They used to bully us over there, but now we have our own water. I won't face humiliation again."

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

"As a teacher in this school, my mind is at rest now," said teacher, Eunice Wamocho. "I used to worry so much about the children whenever they would cross that road to go fetch water, keeping in mind that they are special children."

Eunice continued: "The population of pupils in this school will increase since parents with special children will feel comfortable to leave their children in [a] school where water is available and they are not required to go outside."

How We Go From Ground to Rain Tank

Construction for this 75,000-liter rain tank was successful! Unfortunately, however, the construction pictures for the process of this project were lost.

Despite the school having a low population and the pupils coming from poor families, the school management, using the little resources they had, managed to pull together all the locally available materials. This required a great deal of hard work and determination.

The school's kitchen staff and a few parents helped provide meals for the artisans, while the school provided the artisans' accommodations. Locals 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.

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.

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. Participants were available from all classes - in fact, we actually had more participants than we had requested.

When the training day arrived, facilitators Lillian and Mercy deployed to the site to lead the event. 30 students and teachers attended the training, which we held under the partial shade of trees and buildings in the school compound.

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; and operation and maintenance of the rain tank, latrines, and handwashing stations.

For this group, the most exciting topic was dental hygiene. The participants enjoyed the practical part of brushing their teeth. Some had never owned a toothbrush and were happy to receive one.

The second memorable topic was soap-making. The participants couldn't stay sitting; they moved closer and tried to get the names of the reagents right. The end product amused them so much.

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, pupils understood their role in sustaining clean water and good health within their school community.

Handwashing Stations

The two handwashing stations were set up during training. These were placed outside of the girls' and boys' latrines to encourage handwashing after latrine use. Training participants 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.

One of the school's teachers, Janepher Nakhurenya, enjoyed the training for her own personal reasons as well as for the enrichment of her pupils. "This training has been of great benefit to me," she said. "I'll be able to make soap, use it for cleaning at home, and also sell it to make some money."

"I have learned the correct way of washing my hands," said Thierry, an 11-year-old  Samitsi student. "I will do it all the time."

We asked Thierry 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.

"I missed having food at the right time," he said. "I feel sick when I feel hungry. My teachers at school know this, so they always give me food at the needed time. At home, it's not the same since there is no food every time."

But now? "I am happy," Thierry said. "I am with my friends and food is available."

About her dreams for the future, Damaris added: "I will be able to learn to read and write. It has been hard for me to understand, but if I stay in class longer, I will understand."

When an issue arises concerning the rain tank, the 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.

The staff at Samitsi Special School wanted us to express their gratitude to all the donors for this project.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

August, 2021: Samitsi Special School Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Samitsi Special 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!