Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/11/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Welcome to the School

St. Theresa’s Musaa Primary School is located in a slum area within the municipality of Kakamega town. The poverty index of the residents is very high thus resulting in minimal community financial support to the school. Most of the residents of Musaa village are small scale business people and casual labors at construction sites in Kakamega town and its environs. A normal day for the school involves learning with breaks including lunch and recess.

The school is a public mixed day primary school located in Musaa village, Shirere sub‑location, Bukhungu location, Shirere ward, Lurambi sub‑county, Kakamega County. It was founded in the year 1960 under the sponsorship of the Catholic Church. This helped in reducing the distance which the pupils had to travel to the nearby Ikonyero and Irumbi primary schools and also to minimize dangers of the pupils traveling long distances across the slum to and from school. The school has a total population of 893 pupils; 451 being boys while 442 are girls. The total number of teachers in the school is 29, 6 being male and 20 female. There are also 4 support staff under the school’s employ; 2 security guards, a secretary and a cook.

(Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. This community would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)

The school had just received a statutory notice to abate nuisance from the ministry of health as a result of its poor WASH conditions. This led the head teacher (newly transferred to the school) to approach WEWASAFO with a letter of request for assistance. A baseline survey was conducted, need identified, and the school approved as a beneficiary for the project.

"We are very grateful that you took note of our request and came for a baseline survey, your support will be highly appreciated by the school as it is located within a slum with minimal community support due to the high poverty index in the community.'' said Mr. Bakari, the school's head teacher.

Water Situation

The school is in dire need as it has no water source or storage in the grounds, forcing the pupils to daily carry water from home to school, the water source remaining unknown. As a result the quality of the water brought by the pupils is questionable and open to contamination due to poor water handling practices along the way.

The students typically carry water in 5-10 liter jerrycans, and sometimes uncovered buckets. Once at the school, the water is stored in plastic drums in the school kitchen. The containers are not cleaned, only rinsed with water occasionally. Teachers at the school relate that the contaminated water often causes diseases like Typhoid, cholera, stomachaches, and diarrhea among the students.

Plans: Second Rainwater Catchment Tank

Plans are to build a second 30,000-liter rainwater catchment tank within the school compound. This tank will collect water during the rainy seasons to be used by the students and staff for the school day throughout the year. Once this tank is complete, the school will have the ability to harvest up to 60,000 liters of rainwater.

We're just getting started, check back soon!


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!


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