Students and Teachers Stay Healthier!

February, 2025

A year ago, your generous donation helped the Tondora Primary School in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Alexander Kimanzi. Thank you!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Alexander Kimanzi and his students. Since then, he and the Tondora Primary School of 130 students and staff have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Our learners no longer need to carry water from home."

Before the Rain Tank Installation

Like many teachers in Kenya, 47-year-old Mr. Kimanzi supervised students in collecting water to meet their daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole his and his students' time and negatively affected them.

Students carrying water to school before the rain tank installation.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many students suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant they wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Mr. Kimanzi and his students, it lessened their opportunity to stay healthy and progress academically.

"Getting water before the project was completed was very exhausting [for] our pupils because they had to carry water from home every day, and this contributed to lateness and even absenteeism. The plastic rainwater tank in our school could also not hold enough water to sustain us during the entire drought period," shared Mr. Kimanzi.

"The water was mostly acquired from open scoop holes, which were easily contaminated by animal or human activity. This exposed our learners to water-related infections. It was difficult to conduct regular hygiene duties because water had to be used sparingly."

Since the Rain Tank Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this school's future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"Our pupils have enough clean water to drink when they are in school because the implemented project sustains us throughout the entire drought period. These learners are no longer exposed to water-related infections because they are drinking clean water," said Mr. Kimanzi.

"It only takes a few minutes to draw water because the tank is within [the] school, which is much faster than before when the learners had to carry water from home."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Mr. Kimanzi and the rest of the school. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Mr. Kimanzi and his students a crucial tool to help them achieve their dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, their enthusiasm and courage will help them fulfill their dreams.

"Our learners can now attend school every day without [being] late because they are not burdened with carrying water from home. They are drinking clean water and [are] no longer stressing about where they can get water to drink. They are able to conduct hygiene duties in their classrooms and latrines, which has created a comfortable learning environment," said Mr. Kimanzi.

"The teachers are glad that they can attend to all learners every day who are active in class and not [be] distracted by exhaustion or thirst. The teachers also have their meals prepared on time and no longer need to purchase water for drinking."

"The school has planted various trees in the school, which are irrigated using water from the tank. There is a new junior secondary class within the school because there is enough water to sustain a bigger student populace within the school."

Students in their new tree nursery.

 

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 Tondora 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 Tondora 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.

Project Status



Project Type: Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 130 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 02/13/2025

Project Features


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Community Profile

Tondora Primary School opened in 1998 through the persistence of parents who wanted their children to receive an education. Today, there are 119 students and 11 teachers, but the school still lacks a reliable water source that can provide the necessary water needed all year round for drinking, cooking, and keeping the school hygienic.

Every school day, the same ritual happens. Pupils must report to school by 7 am with a 5L container of water they've collected from community water sources, most often river scoop holes along the way. Then the students come together for an assembly and empty their water into the school's storage containers. And sadly, those who fail to bring water receive punishment.

But as you can imagine, the water children collect from open scoop holes in dry riverbeds is exposed to many forms of contamination, putting the health of everyone who consumes it at risk from water-related illnesses.

"Students reported cases of stomachaches, headaches, typhoid, and amoeba. Like last week when a child was taken to Kamuwongo Dispensary," said our field officer Alex Koech.

There are a couple of small plastic rain tanks on the school campus, but the amount of water they can collect during the rainy season cannot sustain the school, as the water only lasts for about three weeks after each rainstorm, then they inevitably run dry.

So even with the children fulfilling their arduous duty and the small rain tanks collecting water, there is never enough to meet the demand. As a result, other areas suffer. School meals are delayed, classrooms are rarely cleaned, and latrines cannot be adequately maintained, making for a less-than-ideal learning situation.

"We carry water to school on a daily basis. It is not easy, and sometimes you arrive in school too tired to actively engage in class activities. Coming [to] school is never fun like it can be when you come less burdened," said 13-year-old Isaac M., seen above carrying his jug of water.

"We incur poor academic performances, and the management of the school is difficult because we do not have a reliable water supply. Everyone carries their own drinking water, including teachers," said 52-year-old headteacher Joyce Mumbe (seen above).

“In addition to the necessity of water to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, reducing student dehydration in schools has been associated with improved cognitive abilities.” - UNICEF

A new, large rain tank on their school campus should hold sufficient water to remove the burden of finding and collecting water from students. Then, hopefully, they will regain their time and energy to focus on learning.

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


March, 2024: Tondora Primary School Rainwater Catchment Complete!

Tondora Primary 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.

"Water within the school will mean a better life for me because I will easily be drinking clean water, and our meals will be prepared on time. We will no longer be required to carry water from home, and I will be arriving [at] school on time for my lessons. We will also be using water to wash utensils, unlike in the past when we reused utensils. I am glad we will have water to clean our latrines and classes because we could barely clean them in the past," shared 13-year-old Rachael.

Rachael N.

"Our parents will no longer be coming to school with their donkeys carrying water because we have water in the school. [We] will also be able to build better classrooms and latrines because water was a huge challenge during construction. The teachers will have a place to draw clean water within the school compound," she continued.

When asked how reliable water will impact her education, Rachel said, "I will now be coming early to school because I do not have [to] carry water while walking for over 10 kilometers (six miles) to school. This will help me concentrate on my studies and attain better grades. I will also be present for my classes because [I'm] not exposed to water-related infections. I will also play with my friends and discuss various topics to improve my academic performance."

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.

Materials collected by the community.

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 for the students through the dry months.

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 for a long time.

Constructing the tank.

We built a reinforced concrete column up to the tank's center, which holds 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.

Rain tank complete!

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.

Handwash stations.

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 soap making.

Soap and latrine disinfectant making were topics that were truly life-changing for the students. With the knowledge of what ingredients to use and the process of making soap, they are empowered to keep their school clean and bring that knowledge home to their families. They can practice better hygiene at home and sell soap to supplement their family income.

Field Officer Veronica Matolo shared her perspective on community engagement. "From the level of participation and interest in learning and with the help of the school teachers in passing the message, it looks like a great improvement in hygiene practices will be witnessed not only in the school but also in the homesteads where these pupils come from. There was also some commitment shown to improve the action plan. With the help of the teachers, pupils planned for themselves what they wished to adopt as far as hygiene and sanitation were concerned."

Learning how to properly wash their hands.

13-year-old Ndinda shared what training sessions really impacted her. "I am very happy that I have learned about soap making because we will now be making soap in our school, which will be used in cleaning. This will help us prevent the spread of diseases in our school. This training will be useful to us and the entire society. It will help us greatly in [the] control and prevention of diseases. It has taught us how to maintain personal hygiene, other hygienic practices like handwashing at different critical times as we have been taught, using latrines well, eating warm food and keeping it clean, as well as keeping our compounds clean so that we may stay away from diseases. This training was valuable to us because we have learned the importance of maintaining good hygiene and how to do it."

Ndinda (left)

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. 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 their local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for 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 Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we're working toward complete coverage. That means 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!




February, 2024: Tondora Primary School Rainwater Catchment Underway!

The lack of adequate water at Tondora Primary School costs students time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!




Project Photos



Contributors

1 individual donor(s)