Rainwater Catchment
Rehabilitation Project
Kaluu Primary School, founded in 2007, takes its mission to educate children seriously, but for the past sixteen years, they've had one relentless issue - a daily water crisis. Today, 223 students and 16 teachers continue to face the exhausting battle of finding enough water to get through the day.
"The school is located beneath Ikoo Valley and currently depends on a small plastic water storage tank that cannot meet the daily water needs of the pupils and staff. As a result, parents are forced to transport water to the school using donkeys, while pupils are required to carry water from home each morning, reducing the time and energy they should be dedicating to learning," shared Field Officer Jefferson Mutie.
As Jefferson noted, the rain tank is too small for such a large school population, so it quickly runs dry.
Parents waste the time they should be spending making a living for their families by carting water from a contaminated scoop hole in a dry river bed to the school on donkeys.
The scoop hole where parents collect water.
And students exhaust themselves collecting and carrying water each morning from the local river. None of their current methods of procuring water is sufficient, and no one knows that better than fourteen-year-old student Juliana, who dreads making the two-hour trip to collect water.
"The terrain makes walking to the river very tricky and long indeed. When we are told to go to the river, I always feel so bad. I get very tired, making me have low concentration in class," Juliana reported.
"Whenever I am exhausted from fetching water, I just sleep on my desk, causing me to have less concentration in class. It has affected my performance," she lamented. "I always feel tired, worried, and frustrated because it takes time away from learning and other important school activities."
Juliana shouldn't have to worry about whether she'll have enough energy to stay awake in class - or to do the things she loves.
When we asked her what she would do if she no longer had to make the exhausting trek to collect water, she said, "I would study, play, and do the artwork that I love doing when free."
"I hope to be an artist," she told us.
With your help, Juliana can get back to being a kid - with the time and energy to learn, grow, and chase the dream she's already imagining.
Steps Toward a Solution
Schools without reliable, on-premises water access often rely on students to fetch and carry water, leading to rationing and uncertainty about water quality. The water is typically poured into a communal storage tank and used by the entire school. With children carrying water from all different sources, it is also impossible for teachers and staff to know exactly where the water comes from and how safe it is to drink.
A new water point will be located on-premises at the school to ensure accessibility, reliability, and safety for students, teachers, and staff while meeting our school coverage goals. Having water available at the school allows children to drink, wash hands, and use sanitation facilities without leaving school grounds, preventing disruptions to lessons and reducing safety risks. A dedicated source increases water availability, reduces reliance on stored water, minimizes rationing, and ensures confidence in the safety of the water. This means staff and students are healthier, and their lessons aren’t disrupted, contributing to a better education!
Our technical experts worked with the school leadership and 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
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.
