Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 267 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jun 2022

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/19/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Titus Mbithi, Communications and Fund Raising Manager

The 250 students and 17 staff of AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School, a boarding school for girls, currently relies on four plastic rainwater harvesting tanks to supply their water needs. Students need to bathe, wash their uniforms, clean the dormitories, and prepare their meals and drink from this water.

Water collected in the storage tanks runs out quickly because of the many students and their water demands, forcing the school to purchase water delivered by truck. It costs the school a lot of money to buy the water. It is also from untested sources, making it unsafe to drink, but sadly, there is no alternative, so everyone consumes it even when they suffer from stomach problems.

Student Sylvia (in the photo above), age 17, shared, "We usually leave the jerrycans to be filled with water when we are in class. When you come to pick it [up], you may find that the water was stolen and you have no water for cleaning that day. It is usually very hectic. At times, on the days of general cleaning, we lack water for washing the classrooms, dormitories, or even our clothes, which makes our learning environment unconducive. Sometimes the food is not prepared on time, which makes the classes delay, and this, in turn, affects our academic schedules."

Once the water runs out, they have to wait for it to be delivered again after only about two days. When the water delivery companies are unavailable, students lack water for bathing, washing their clothes, and even drinking, making them unable to concentrate in class. Ultimately the lack of water delays the school programs and progress and impacts the student's education negatively.

Sophia Mbugua (in the photo above), the Deputy Head Teacher, 49, said, "The bowser (water delivery company) we rely on at times breaks down, and we can stay without water for a day or two as we look for alternative sources of water. Water rationing becomes a norm as there is insufficient water supply. If we do not ration [the water], some students may totally lack water. It is really difficult not having an adequate water supply in the school. School projects often stall to save money for buying water for use by the students."

The proposed solution is a 104,000-liter tank that will provide a reliable water source for the school. They will have access to clean water for a more extended period, thus reducing the financial strain on the school. Hopefully, with an adequate water supply, the student's situation will become more manageable, improving their academic performance.

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 supplementary 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 in addition to providing 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 1 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 best oversee 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 3 taps each, allowing 9 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


June, 2022: AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School Rain Tank Complete!

AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School in Kenya now has access to a new safe, clean water source thanks to the completion of their 104,000-liter rain tank! In addition, we installed handwashing stations and trained students and staff on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Girls celebrating water.

Teacher Eunice Njoroge, 25, said, "Access to water from this point will go a long way in helping us improve our school performance in general. Students won't struggle again in searching for water."

Eunice.

She continued, "We hope that agriculture will do well in their oncoming examinations as they are required to have a practical exam of planting specified crops which need [a] water supply for them to nourish well. We have had plans of planting trees for years now. With this project being complete and having available water we now plan to plant many trees in the compound and beautify our environment."

Silvia.

When we spoke to eighteen-year-old student Silvia K. before the rain tank was started she mentioned that the school's lack of water for everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning made the learning environment unconducive. Now, with the rain tank complete, she said, "I hope my life will change now as I will no longer need to worry about where and how to get water especially after taking lunch. I will have ample time for studying. I hope to do exemplary well because I will have prepared well for examinations."

Rain Tank Construction Process

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

Collected construction materials.

This tank is a whopping 104,000 liters because of 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.

Buildng the tank walls.

Construction for this large rain tank is much like constructing a concrete house. First, we leveled the ground for foundation excavation. Next, we laid alternating layers of impermeable rocks and mortar up to seven feet high for the tank's outer walls. With such sturdy construction (the walls have internal and external diameters of 25 and 28 feet, respectively!), the tank will stand a long time.

Inside the tank.

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 inside and out with waterproof cement. After that, we installed guttering and channeled it 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.

Completed tank before paint.

Handwashing Stations

We delivered three new handwashing stations in time for training. 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.

The Student Health Club was taught proper handwashing techniques.

Zawadi K., said, 'The training offered was very helpful to me. I learned how to stay clean through regular washing of hands. At school, we have installed more handwashing points to make sure that everyone cleans their hands regularly. This has helped me improve on hygiene and sanitation levels."

Zawadi.

She continued, "I also learned about soap making which I taught my parents during [the] last break from school. We hope to make some income from the soap sales back at home."

The soapmaking training was conducted for the members of the Child Health Club. While practicing the students organized themselves so each participant would stir for 5 minutes to make the process easy and interesting.

Plenty of water for handwashing.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our partners, and the community members themselves. 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. We have an ongoing commitment to walk with each community, cooperatively problem-solving when they face challenges of any kind: with functionality, seasonality, or water quality issues. With all these components together, we strive to ensure enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In our target areas, we’re working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!




May, 2022: AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School Rain Tank Project Underway!

A severe clean water shortage at AIC Mavindini Girls 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!




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: Water Access Means Fewer Worries!

June, 2023

A year ago, your generous donation helped AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Dora. 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 Mavindini Girls Secondary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary 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!

Dora M., 17, recalled what life was like at AIC Mavindini Girls Secondary School before her school’s rain tank was installed last year.

"Initially, we experienced a lot of challenges pertaining [to] water. We could bring water with us to school," said Dora. "Our hygiene and sanitation were compromised. [The] lack of water made us skip some days without bathing and others without washing our clothes. Washing of hands was a secluded practice for teachers only.”

But life is much less worrisome for Dora and the other students and staff now.

"Now, I have less worries. I have access to clean water. I absolutely love my school because it has got clean and accessible water anytime I need some. We have enough water to clean our classes, wash clothes, drink, and even water school trees," said Dora.

Having ready access to water from the rain tank has made a difference for Dora, allowing her to participate in extracurricular activities at school.

"In the past year, as a member of [the] environmental club, we managed to plant more trees in our compound, which are shaping the school and beautifying it too. We have planted over one hundred trees and hope to plant many more using water from this tank. The child health club members are responsible for watering the project daily," concluded Dora.

Thank you for helping Dora access clean water and enjoy school once again so she can dream about the future.

Right now, there are others just like her in neighboring communities that desperately need safe water access. Your support will immediately go to work to provide a clean water project - and we can’t wait to introduce you to the next person you’ll help.

Dora drinking clean water!

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 Mavindini Girls Secondary 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 Mavindini Girls Secondary 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.