Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 410 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jan 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/10/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Titus Mbithi, Communications and Fund Raising Manager

AIC Kaseve Primary School depends on students carrying water to the school and small rainwater harvesting tanks for all of their water needs, including drinking, cooking, and cleaning. As a result, there is never enough water to meet the demands of the large school population.

"Our school has a very high population, and the available water sources cannot serve all our water needs. We cannot plant many trees and maintain high standards of hygiene in school because of the water challenges involved here," said Deputy Headteacher Mary Musyoka.

The students must report to school by 6:30 am, carrying water for their use in school. When they arrive, the teacher on duty inspects the water carried by the students. Those who have failed to bring water are punished.

Carrying water to school is a burden on the students. They arrive at school tired, leading to poor concentration in class.

"We are always required to carry water to school for our cooking and drinking needs. It has not been easy because it makes you feel a bit tired by the time you arrive in school, leading to poor concentration in class," said student Joshua M.

"During breaks and lunch hour, we all rush to the few water points trying to get drinking water, and it becomes crowded."

Because students bring water from wherever they can get it, students and staff report cases of water-related diseases, such as amoeba and typhoid.

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 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.

Project Updates


January, 2022: AIC Kaseve Primary School Rain Tank Complete!

AIC Kaseve 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 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.

"We hope that the water point will provide enough water for the school and relieve us from carrying water every day when we report," said 12-year-old Sharon M. "This will save time for studying."

Sharon.

The school already has a kitchen garden, but in the past, it was kept small because there wasn't enough water to properly water the plants. Sharon is excited about the garden's expansion. "We've prepared the land whereby we plan to plant mango trees and avocado trees, too," she said. "We plan to use water to irrigate the garden for our projects to thrive."

"The availability of [a] safe and reliable water supply will improve the health of the school community, which will improve performance," said teacher Ann Mutisya. "Pupils will no longer have to carry water to the school and this will save on time wasted to commute to school and back on a daily basis. The water will also help improve the level of hygiene and sanitation in general."

Ann watches students washing their hands.

Ann also shares Sharon's excitement about the school's garden plans. "The water point will play a huge role in supporting our agricultural projects. We plan to conserve our environment through planting more trees in our compound and [establishing] tree nurseries."

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.

Transporting materials.

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.

The school's Head Teacher organized a parents' meeting to thank them for the good work they did to aid in the construction process. The Head Teacher was very happy to see the completion of the project.

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. 130 students (56 boys and 74 girls) attended the training, which we held outside at the school playground.

"The training was very valuable to me," said 13-year-old Wambua M. "I have learned to always wash my hands properly so that I protect myself from contracting diseases. I also learned about soap-making. [This] will enable us as a school to make soap in order to improve proper hygiene and sanitation. In the health club team, we will make enough soap for [the] school to be using whenever one is washing their hands."

Wambua after the training.

The topic that the students found most interesting was personal hygiene, during which they learned several things they hadn't heard before. They asked many questions and contributed with lessons on personal hygiene they had heard and wanted confirmed.

Another subject the students found intriguing was the F-diagram, which outlines the many ways fecal bacteria can be transmitted: such as flies, fingers, fluids, food, fields, and fomite (often-handled objects and household surfaces). The pupils were taken through the transmission process and the prevention practices. After the training, the pupils understood the importance of maintaining proper personal hygiene to protect themselves against falling sick on a regular basis.

Curious students watch soap being made.

"We are planning to instill a handwashing culture among the students and fill all the [handwashing] stations with water and soap to ensure all the pupils wash their hands frequently," Sharon said.

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!




December, 2021: AIC Kaseve Primary School Rainwater Tank Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at AIC Kaseve 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!




Project Photos


Project Type

For a rainwater collection system, we build gutters around a building with good, clean roofing to channel rain where we want it. From there, the water falls through a filtered inlet pipe into a high-capacity storage tank, the size of which is based on population and average rainfall patterns. In the tank, water can be stored for months, where it is easily treated and accessed. Learn more here!


A Year Later: A thriving school garden!

January, 2023

A year ago, your generous donation helped AIC Kaseve Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Mary. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in AIC Kaseve Primary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help AIC Kaseve Primary School maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

Last year, students at AIC Kaseve Primary School were responsible for collecting water from the local river and hauling it to school every day. They were exhausted, which made it difficult for them to concentrate in class.

"Before the construction of this project, life was very hard," said 13-year-old Mary K. "I found it hard to carry water from home every day. I could get very tired because it’s a long stretch from my home to school. Once I got to school, I did not really concentrate in class because my mind would be ringing that in the evening, I have to get water from the river."

“Before the construction of the water tank in the school, we had a lot of water challenges. Both the school and the pupils found it very hard to get water. Pupils would bring water from home every single morning, especially during dry seasons," said 40-year-old teacher Stella Kitonga.

But once we installed a large rain tank, things turned around for the school and the students. Hygiene levels have improved, the school garden is providing essential nourishment for everyone, and the students now have the time to focus on learning.

"Now, we are enjoying life in school as we have plenty of clean and reliable water, which is very safe for human consumption. In the past year, as a school, we have managed to elevate levels of hygiene and sanitation in the school. We have also started planting vegetables which we use locally for consumption in the school. Also, we have planted banana trees and are currently doing great,’’ Stella said.

“Currently, I do not miss classes because the burden of carrying water with me as I come to school is long gone and forgotten. We have managed to save [the] time which was wasted in collecting water for [our] studies. I have put more effort [into] my studies and hope to do exemplary well when exams come," concluded Mary.

Teacher Stella Kitonga watering the vegetable garden.

Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help AIC Kaseve Primary School maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of AIC Kaseve Primary School – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.