Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Nov 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/07/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water And Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the School

Lusengeli Secondary School is a day school located in Lusengeli Village, Wodanga location, Sabatia Sub-County along Chavakali-Kapsabet Highway in Vihiga County. The school has a total population of 867 people comprised of 815 students, 36 teaching staff and 16 support staff. The student population is made up of 452 boys and 363 girls. (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 school would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)

The institution is not only a giant academic performer among the neighboring schools, but also does well in co-curriculum activities such as the "student science congress," and the engineering fair. Participants in the engineering fair sometimes make it to the national level! Many of the students at Lusengeli are orphaned, their parents having died from HIV/AIDS. They now live with their grandparents, and are proof of perseverance through trial.

A normal day for a Lusengeli students starts at 7am and stretches to 5pm when class is dismissed.

The inhabitants of Lusengeli Community are primarily peasant farmers who grow maize and tea at a small scale. Lusengeli is special because it even has its own school farm to help provide for the school lunch feeding program.

One of the teachers at Lusengeli Secondary heard about WEWASAFO and decided to send in an application for a water and sanitation project. Upon receipt of this application, we sent out a team to conduct a survey on school conditions.

Water Situation

The school has one 10,000-liter tank that can hardly meet the needs of such a huge population. To illustrate this, we even found students fetching water from the tank's manhole since there were too many students waiting to use the tap. When the tank is emptied, the school has to spend money to chlorinate water from a nearby stream. Students are often sent there to fetch water used for cleaning the classrooms, which of course doesn't have to be chlorinated. It's best to save the tank's water for drinking only.

The school needs to have enough water of its own so students are no longer sent to the spring. Frequent trips to the spring waste valuable class and study time, and subject students to danger. Plus, the unprotected stream's water is contaminated and dangerous for consumption even after treatment.

Sanitation Situation

The school has a total of 22 latrine doors; eight for boys, nine for girls, and five serving the teaching staff. However, some of these latrines are too full to use. They are dirty, smelly, and many can't be locked from the inside. Considering these conditions, only 12 latrines can really be used. "One of the reoccurring challenges we’ve been having," said the deputy principal, "is the poor soil structure that latrines are built on. We hope that one day we will be able to construct pour flush modern latrines that are both long-lasting and save on space." Because of poor latrine conditions, open defecation seems to be an issue on school grounds. Students cannot wait in line or are deterred by the odor, and instead find a private place in the bushes or behind school buildings. The school has a neat, clean kitchen with a dish rack nearby. Nevertheless, the condition of the school compost pit was pathetic; it was unkempt, dirty and disorganized with trash everywhere! There are no hand-washing stations, so hands are not clean after using the latrines and before eating.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training and Hand-Washing Stations

Training will be held for two days. The facilitator will use PHAST (participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation), ABCD (asset-based community development), CTC (child to child), lectures, group discussions, and handouts to teach health topics and ways to promote good practices within the school. The CTC method will prepare students to lead other students into healthy habits, as well as kickstart a CTC club for the school. This CTC club will oversee the new facilities, such as hand-washing stations, and make sure they are kept clean and in working condition. The two hand-washing stations will be delivered to the school, and the club will fill them with water on a daily basis and make sure there is always a cleaning agent such as soap or ash.

Plans: VIP Latrines

Two triple-door latrines will be constructed with local materials that the school will help gather. Normally, we designate three doors for each gender. Lusengeli needs all six doors to serve the boys, though, since the boys' latrines recently collapsed due to soft, shifting soil.

Plans: Rainwater Catchment Tank

A 30,000-liter rainwater catchment tank will help alleviate the water crisis at this school. The school will also help gather the needed materials such as sand, rocks, and water from the spring for mixing cement. Once finished, this tank can begin catching rainfall that will be used by the school's students and staff only. Students will no longer have to leave their school in search of water!

Project Updates


December, 2017: A Year Later: Lusengeli Secondary School

A year ago, generous donors helped build a rainwater catchment system and latrines for Lusengeli Secondary School in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners can visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner, Janet Kayi, with you.




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: Lusengeli Secondary School

November, 2017

The school community is very appreciative, concerned and mindful of their water project. The CTC clubbers are so active and determined to see that the project leaves a permanent positive mark in their lives and for those coming after them.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Lusengeli Secondary School.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Lusengeli 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!

A year ago, generous donors helped build a rainwater catchment system and latrines for Lusengeli Secondary School in Western Kenya. Because of these gifts and contributions from our monthly donors, partners can visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner, Janet Kayi, with you.

Students have improved in their academic performance. The positive change is attributed to the time saved during lunch hours because they easily get water from the water tank situated near the dining hall.

School principal Mageso Mathews Idagiza shared how the rainwater catchment system has impacted the school since it was installed one year ago. “There has been revived interest among students to give their best in academics. Students do feel loved, cared for and appreciated when they see people sacrifice to put up new sanitation facilities for their sake and general well-being in the school. As a result, the school enrollment has gone a notch high, by 100 new students, due to the improved water and sanitation status in the school.”

“The improvement in population has also put a lot of pressure on the water and sanitation facilities that are currently available. For example, water in the tank gets depleted so fast due to the direct dependence of the water by the students to meet all their daily needs.”

Evance Businya, a 17-year-old student at the school shares how this water project has inspired him in his daily life. “The coming of the project and its successful implementation helped me to find my life bearing to a great deal. The health and hygiene messages provided during the CTC workshop inspired us to view health more holistically and responsibly. The water tank plus the latrines also boosted our self-esteem because we have been made comfortable to give our best attention to class work because we now don't have to worry about water for use in school. For example, we wash our utensils and our hands anytime when need be.”

The school community is very appreciative, concerned and mindful of their water project. The CTC clubbers are so active and determined to see that the project leaves a permanent positive mark in their lives and for those coming after them. The school administration is also willing to chip in to do repair works for the boys' latrine so that the current congestion on the remaining latrine doors can be addressed with speed. The girls still need improved sanitation facilities to ease the congestion due to increased students' population. We will continue to provide health and hygiene information to help girls and boys maintain high standards of hygiene in their latrines.

The Water Project and our partners are committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by monthly donors, allows us to visit communities up to 4 times a year. Read more about our program and how you can help.


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 Lusengeli 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 Lusengeli 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.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - Erick's Hope Inc.