Rehabilitation Project
The 142 students and 13 staff at Kikini Secondary School struggle to have sufficient water to meet their daily needs. Each day, they rely on rain tanks that are too small to hold enough water for everyone, and water is delivered by a vendor who collects it from unprotected sources.
A scoop hole, where water is often collected.
"The water vendor avails water using jerrycans loaded on a donkey, then pours it into a concrete open tank in the school. Water is drawn from the open tank using buckets that further contaminate the water. The water acquired from the vendor has an odor and a saline taste," Field Officer Alex Koech said.
"The students often complain of water-related infections such as typhoid, diarrhea, and amoeba because they drink water from the vendor, which is drawn from unprotected sources such as scoop holes and earth dams," he continued.
When students get sick, it gets in the way of their ability to stay in school.
A water vendor delivers water by donkey to the school.
"We live in a very dry region that experiences short rain seasons throughout the year. The tanks in our school cannot harvest enough rainwater to sustain us during the drought period because of their little capacity," shared teacher Morris Mutua, 52.
"This term, we have sent more than ten students home to seek treatment because the school does not offer any treatment in the school. It is very sad to send the students home for treatment because they miss a lot from school and find a hard time catching up with the others. The parents are also strained financially because most of them reap little income from their farms," said Morris.
Mr. Musua near one of the small rain tanks on the school campus.
Not only is the water collected by the water vendor risking students' health, but it is also costing the school funds they can not afford to lose.
"The school pays a lot of money to offset water purchases throughout the several months of drought. It pays about Ksh 18000 ($140) every month, which is difficult to raise given the meager income of the parents," said Alex.
"The lack of water in our school causes stress among the students because they wonder where they can get water to drink. The latrines are also rarely cleaned, which has led to a foul smell, and the classrooms are also dusty. Students taking agriculture cannot participate in the subject as required because they do not have enough water to irrigate their crops. These instances make learning difficult in our school," said Morris.
Students wait to collect water.
"It is a frustrating situation, but the learners have to use the only available water in the school, which is mostly contaminated because we rely on the water vendor's water during most days of the school year," he continued.
"The costly water expenses also force students to abandon school altogether when they can no longer pay," Morris concluded.
Steps Toward a Solution
Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. Together, they decided to construct a rainwater harvesting system.
Rainwater Harvesting System
A rainwater collection system consists of gutters that channel rainwater effectively into large holding tanks. Attached to buildings with clean, suitable roofing, these systems are sized according to the population and rainfall patterns. Water can be stored for months, allowing for easy treatment and access. Learn more here!
Handwashing Stations
Alongside each water source, we install two gravity-fed handwashing stations, enabling everyone at the school to wash their hands. Handwashing is crucial for preventing water-related illnesses within the school and community. Student “health clubs” maintain the stations, fill them with water, and supply them with soap, which we often teach them how to make.
School Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each school's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point.
To ensure a lasting impact, we support forming a student health club composed of elected student representatives and a teacher. These clubs promote hygiene practices schoolwide and keep handwashing stations well-stocked. This student-led model encourages a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for the entire school.
