Rehabilitation Project
Mang'uu Day and Boarding Primary School is found in a rural location in Kitui county. The area has a generally flat terrain with low vegetation cover made up of primarily indigenous tree species. The school was started in 1997 by local parents who felt that their children had been traveling for too long a distance to access primary education at other schools. The school has grown through support from students' parents, the Mwingi North constituency development fund, and the Kitui County Government.
The primary water sources for the 391 students here are a few small rainwater collection tanks. These never provide enough water to meet all of the water demands for the school population. The school supplements the rain tank water by requiring the day students to bring water from home. Boarding students have to help fetch water too, though all students usually use the same sources: river scoop holes that are never safe for human consumption.
"Our biggest challenge in this school is water. Our students must carry water to school, which is not morally right and which affects their concentration in class. The boarding students never get enough water for all their needs, which affects hygiene and sanitation levels in school. With enough water, our school can improve its performance while also attracting more students," said Head Teacher Peter Mailu.
The use of and dependence on students to help acquire water for their school has had harmful effects on the young learners. Some students arrive in school already tired and highly exhausted from their long trip fetching and then carrying water. Their low energy negatively affects their concentration in class and, consequently, their grades. The available water at school is highly rationed, especially to the boarding students. This makes their stay in school miserable because of how little water they get to attend to basic water needs such as bathing, laundering clothes and bedding, and washing dishes.
Cases of stomach problems and waterborne diseases have been reported among students in the past, attributed to the use of water from sources not considered safe. These water-related illnesses lead to increased absenteeism as students seek medication, while others miss out on class due to ongoing health complications from their initial illness. All of these students are being held back from their full academic potential by their school's severe lack of clean water.
Rain Tank
We will build a 104,000-liter rain tank for this school, making the others look tiny in comparison. Because of how rarely it rains in Southeastern Kenya, this tank's large volume is designed to store as much water as possible during the seasonal rains, making more water available through the dry months. This water will benefit the students, teachers, and additional staff.
Parents will mobilize the materials needed for construction, including sand, stones, and water. They will also lend their strength and time to help with the building. We will complement their materials with a skilled artisan to lead the project and provide the tools, lumber, metal, cement, and gutter system.
"Our school life is not easy because of the limited water availability. We are often required to bring water to school for our cooking and other water needs. It is not easy coming to school early with a school bag and a water container," said Kaluki M, a student at the school.
As soon as the tank has time to cure, it can begin collecting rainwater for the school's use.
Training
We will train students and staff on sanitation, hygiene, and other topics for one day. Those in attendance will form a school health club that will promote good hygiene and sanitation practices at school and home. They will learn all of the steps to proper handwashing, how to treat water, and how to keep their environment clean. The school will also be taught how to oversee best and maintain their new rain tank and handwashing stations.
Handwashing Stations
A total of 3 handwashing stations will be installed upon the project’s completion and before training. These are 1,000-liter plastic tanks fitted with three taps each, allowing nine students to wash their hands at once. The student health club and school management will be responsible for making sure the tanks are filled with water and that a cleaning agent such as soap or ash is always available.
