October, 2021: Nzoila Secondary School Project Complete!

Nzoila Secondary 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 104,000 liters of water. In addition, we installed handwashing stations, and we trained students and staff on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. These components work together to unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Mercy D., a 16-year-old student, shared her excitement about improvements to her own life as well as the quality of life of the school's students. "Access to reliable, safe water will enable me to wash my hands at all times and establish proper personal hygiene, which is key in protecting me against contracting COVID-19."

"Through this project," Mercy continued, "our school will also be clean, as there will be enough water [to] establish proper hygiene and sanitation for cleaning the latrines and classrooms. Preparation of meals will be done on time, and there will be no delay of our lessons."

School Principal Samson Maara sees a bright future for Nzoila Secondary School. "Access to water from this tank will propagate a lot of change and growth for the school. We will be able to sustain a conducive learning environment for the students. The finances which were initially spent on purchasing water will now be channeled to school development projects, such as constructing laboratories and purchasing proper lab equipment for use by the students."

Rain Tank Construction Process

First, we held a meeting with all parents and the school Head Teacher to plan the project. The parents agreed to collect construction materials like sand, rocks, and water. We would complement their materials by delivering the expertise, tools, lumber, metal, cement, and gutter system.

This tank is a whopping 104,000 liters because of a large student population and how rarely it rains in Southeastern Kenya. Therefore, the more water the tank can store during the seasonal rains, the more water will be available through the dry months for the students.

Construction for this large rain tank is much like the construction of a concrete house. First, we leveled the ground for foundation excavation. Next, we laid alternating layers of impermeable rocks and mortar up to 7 feet high, with internal and external diameters of 25 and 28 feet, respectively.

We built a reinforced concrete column right up to the tank’s center, which holds up the roof and prevents it from caving in. We then plastered the walls both internally and externally with waterproof cement. After that, we installed several feet of guttering and channeled them into the tank. Finally, we installed the roofing, made of iron sheets and timber with vents to allow rainwater into the tank from the gutters.

School leadership is armed with the technical skills to ensure that the water tank remains functional, and together we will identify gaps through our ongoing monitoring visits.

Handwashing Stations

We delivered three new handwashing stations in time for training to be used for handwashing demonstrations. Each of these new stations has three taps so that nine students can wash their hands simultaneously.

New Knowledge

We trained on a variety of health, hygiene, and sanitation topics. These included student health club activities, disease transmission and prevention, personal hygiene, handwashing, water hygiene, food hygiene, latrine hygiene, and soapmaking.

109 participants attended the training, which included both staff and students.

Students' favorite topic was disease transmission. 11 posters with simple drawings were used to illustrate how diseases are spread. The drawings showed good and bad hygiene practices/ behaviors. The students were tasked to form at least six routes of disease transmission using the posters provided. Each grade was tasked to form two routes, which led to a competition among the three classes, with the grade two class emerging as the winners.

Student James M., 17 years old, explained what the training taught him. "The training was very valuable to me, as I have learned a lot about water hygiene and how to improve my personal hygiene. For long, we have been drinking water without treating it, but today I have learned that there are many ways to treat water, all [of] which are within my range and capacity. I have also learned how to make liquid soap which will help me in handwashing and cleaning purposes both at home and at school."

The students' were also intrigued by soap-making. Originally, we were only going to present this topic to the health club members, but the rest of the students pleaded to be included. The students gathered around the pot and took turns stirring as the ingredients were added. All the students portrayed intense interest in this activity and  asked many questions.

Mercy shared what she learned specifically about the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are now more knowledgeable and aware of how the disease is spread and how to protect oneself from contracting it. Now that the school has the handwashing stations set up, it is easier for us to adopt the knowledge that was trained, such as handwashing with soap and clean water. We are also now going to be more keen on how to properly wear our masks and ensure they are always clean before use."

We asked Mercy 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.

Mercy at school.

"I missed learning and interacting with my classmates. My studies were greatly affected when the schools were closed. When we are in school, the concentration levels are so high and it is fun to learn, but when we are at home, it is quite difficult."

When asked about future plans for the school, Principal Maara had a lot to say. "We plan to engage in environment conservation by planting more trees in our compound. Our agriculture students can now confidently embark on their projects without the fear of their crops withering due to insufficient water supply. With time, we can also progress to expand the school."

When an issue arises concerning the rain tank, 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!

August, 2021: Nzoila Secondary School Rank Tank Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at Nzoila Secondary 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!