Rehabilitation Project
Kasyalani Mixed Day and boarding secondary school is a public school found in Kitui County, Kenya. The school started in 2009 by Kyandali village community members and primary school parents who wanted to offer secondary school education to children of the local area who had initially traveled long distances to access secondary school education. The school has realized its growth through support from parents, the government, and the Kitui county government.
The school is found on a piece of land shared with Kasyalani primary school. The school has five classes, a staff room, an administration block, a kitchen, restrooms, and dormitories. The school's primary water sources are four small tanks that are filled by local water vendors. The water often runs out. The school spends a lot of money on paying bills of water to sustain its population. This is money that would otherwise have been invested in school infrastructure and academic-related activities.
"It has been expensive buying water for this school, and even with that, the water is never enough to cater to the water needs of our students and staff," said Deputy Head Teacher Julius Muithya.
"With a reliable water source, the school would grow fast and allocate more resources to school infrastructure and learning activities, which would, in turn, improve performance."
Also, the school's hygiene and sanitation levels are low due to the need to save water for cooking and drinking. This exposes members of the school community to health risks, especially at the restrooms, which are never cleaned. The lack of a reliable water source has led the school to become unpopular among parents and new students. They are against joining a school without enough water within its premises.
"School latrines and classes are never washed with water, which sometimes makes them dusty. Its such an unfavorable learning area," shared Jane M, a student at the school.
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 construction. We will complement their materials with a skilled artisan to lead the project and provide the tools, lumber, metal, cement, and gutter system.
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 both at school and at 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.
