Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 374 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Oct 2017

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 11/08/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water And Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). It was originally slated to be done at Esumeyia Primary School in 2017, but administration realized that they didn't have the capacity or time to host a project this year. They asked to be reconsidered in 2018.

Musudzu Primary School came forward and showed their willingness to hold a project at their school and support the artisan in building a rainwater catchment tank.

Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the School

Musudzu Primary School was started in 1958 by Salvation Army Church. The school is located in Musudzu Village of Vihiga County. The school hosts 360 pupils; 169 boys and 157 girls in primary level with 14 boys and 20 girls in early education. It employs 12 teachers and two support staff.

A normal day at Musudzu Primary School begins at 6 am when pupils start arriving. Lower classes must be there to start cleaning from 7 am to 7:25 am Monday thru Friday. The master on duty addresses the pupils and invites other teachers to make announcements. Normal lessons begin at 8 am and end at 4:30 pm. Some of the classrooms here are in very poor condition; there are a number of classrooms that have no doors or windows.

Most families living directly around the school are farmers who grows cash crops like sugarcane. After they have seen their children off to school, women continue with domestic chores at home while the men seek income by doing odd jobs (taxiing, breaking stones, working on farms).

Water Situation

The school only has one plastic tank with a capacity of 6,000 liters which does not store enough water for the drinking, cooking, and cleaning that needs to happen on a daily basis. Since this tank is so small, the administration has forced students to carry their own containers of water for the day's drinking. And since students come from many different places, there's no way to ensure their drinking water is clean throughout the school day.

Students are already tried from carrying both their books and a full container of dirty water every morning. Beyond this, there is waterborne disease to contend with - to avoid a heavy burden the entire trip to school, students prefer to fill their required containers with the dirty water pooled closest to the school.

Sanitation Situation

When it comes to sanitation facilities, boys have two pit latrines while girls have only one - which is already three-quarters full. There are other latrines that can be seen in the pictures, but these can't be used because the pits are full. Teachers have two of their own latrines that are in good condition. The latrines are all built from brick walls plastered with cement.

The school has no hand-washing facilities. The school began going from organization to organization looking for help. It was just last month when the school got a closure notice because of the severe shortage of latrines. "We are really appealing for help from development partners and the government to help us construct more latrines," said the headteacher.

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: Rainwater Catchment Tank

A 50,000-liter rainwater catchment tank will be constructed on school grounds. Teachers, students, and parents will gather the materials needed for this project, including sand, ballast, bricks, and hardcore. This contribution will fuel a sense of responsibility for the school and community to take care of their new facilities. Once materials are mobilized, the WEWASAFO team will arrive to lead the construction effort.

With adequate clean water, the school will have water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and hand-washing.

Plans: VIP Latrines

Two triple-door latrines will be constructed, providing three new latrines for each gender. Latrine materials will be mobilized the same way as the tank, ensuring the school feels these facilities are truly theirs. And with a rainwater catchment tank nearby, there will be enough water to keep them clean.

School administration and parents are positive that with these new facilities and training, their students’ academic performance will improve. Students will be healthy and empowered to focus on what’s important!

Project Updates


October, 2018: A Year Later: Musudzu Primary School

A year ago, generous donors helped construct a rainwater catchment tank for Musudzu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories. Read more...




October, 2017: Musudzu Primary School Project Complete

Musudzu Primary School in Kenya now has a new source of safe, clean water thanks to your generous donation. A new rainwater catchment system has been built, and there are now six new latrines being used. Two hand-washing stations have been installed, and students have received training in sanitation and hygiene. Just imagine the difference these resources will make in the lives of these children!

You made it happen, now help keep the water flowing! Join our team of monthly donors and help us maintain this rainwater catchment tank and many other projects.

The report below from our partner gives the latest details of the project. We also just updated the project page with new pictures.

Project Result: New Knowledge

To prepare for hygiene and sanitation training, the headteacher selected students leaders from each grade to attend, at least one of each gender. These students will then share what they learned with their peers. There ended up being 21 participants; one teacher and 20 students. All of these students were eager to be involved and learn about ways they can be healthier.

2 kenya4655 training

We taught an entire lesson on management and maintenance of the new tank and latrine facilities. Regular checking and cleaning of the gutter system is a must! It’s also important to treat the water while it is still in the tank. We also covered topics including but not limited to:

– Water pollution and water treatment

– Personal and environmental hygiene

– Group dynamics, leadership, and governance

– Forming an effective CTC (child to child) club

– Hand-washing

Demonstrations were used for hand-washing, tooth-brushing, solar disinfection, and many other topics. We facilitated group discussions and presentations, and students took part in role-plays. The students also received handouts which will help them teach hygiene and sanitation to their peers.

3 kenya4655 training

The CTC club will include both students and teachers who want to take responsibility for spreading the message of good health and hygiene among their peers. They will also be responsible for managing hand-washing stations, cleaning latrines, and keeping the school environment tidy. A water user committee has also been formed by parents and school administration, which will be responsible for overseeing and maintaining the new facilities.

5 kenya4655 training

Students learning about how the tank works and how to best take care of it.

Headteacher Japheth Asoga said, "It's true as the pupils have shared: Due to lack of enough water in the school, our pupils have not being washing hand after latrine. With the knowledge we have acquired,we are going to lead as an example to the rest of the pupils and we shall demonstrate hand-washing during parade on Monday."

Project Result: Hand-Washing Stations

The two hand-washing stations were delivered to school and handed over to the CTC club. They will teach other students how to properly wash their hands at these stations, and will make sure there is always soap or ash available. Now the school has the stations they need, and they have the water to fill them!

12 kenya4655 hand-washing station

The girls show us how well they can line up for hand-washing.

Project Result: VIP Latrines

This project funded the installation of six new VIP (ventilated improved pit) latrines. These latrines are easy to use and easy to clean. And with a rainwater catchment tank, there should be enough water to keep them clean all the time!

15 kenya4655 latrine

Project Result: Rainwater Catchment Tank

Construction for this 50,000-liter rainwater catchment tank was successful!

Parents, staff, and students helped our artisans gather everything needed for construction. All the while, women cooked meals for the artisans, and the school provided accommodations for the artisans during their work.

7 kenya4655 students fetching water for construction

Students fetching water that will be used to mix cement.

Rainwater tank construction began with clearance of the site: excavating the soil within the required measurements to make level ground for the tank foundation. The foundation was cast by laying hardcore on a level ground and then reinforcing it using steel, concrete and waterproof cement.

8 kenya4655 tank foundation

As the foundation was being lain, both the drawing pipe as well as the washout pipe were affixed. The wall was built with ferro-cement techniques through six layers. The inner wall was plastered while rough casting was done on the outer part.

After the superstructure had been given enough time to settle, the dome construction followed. The manhole cover was fitted, inlet pipes were connected to the roof gutters, inlet screens, ventilation pipes (breathers) and overflow pipes were all done to standards.

Finally, the catchment area was dug, plastered, and a staircase installed. Drainage was set up there, and then the tank was allowed three to four weeks to undergo complete curing before it was cleaned and handed over to Musudzu Primary School. It already has some water in it!

17 kenya4655 clean water

The only challenge was the weather, which forced the artisan to take unexpected breaks while he covered his work up with a tarp. Despite the challenges that the weather posed, the project was a success. The headteacher was very appreciative to the organization, saying that the pupils will now enjoy coming to school because they no longer have to carry water from home. The younger primary pupils used  to arrive at school very tired and would sleep in class. With the newly constructed tank, the headteacher said that pupils will concentrate in class with more energy. He said that he is looking forward to improved academic performance in the coming year, and also an increase in the enrollment of students.

11-year-old Robert Shinali added, "We have gone through thick and thin in search of water. Our teachers had to solve issues caused on the way as we went for water. Water really wasted us academically, but now we have no time to waste. With water in this school I want to assure our teachers that a lot will be achieved!"




September, 2017: Artisan Arrived and Ready for Work!

Friends, we received an update from the field on Monday that work on Musudzu Primary School's rainwater catchment tank has only just begun. That means project completion certainly won't be within the next three days! We will give the artisan and school another month to build the tank and latrines and allow them to dry. Once that's done, we will return to take final pictures. Thank You for your patience! We look forward to sharing more interesting news with you soon.




August, 2017: Esumeyia Primary School Project Asks For Delay

Our staff in Kenya was ready to get started on the rainwater catchment tank and schedule training at Esumeyia Primary. As they began to schedule these things, they were answered with hesitation. The school told us they're overwhelmed with other projects that need to be done, and ask to be reconsidered for a water project in 2018. They planned too much for this year!

Musudzu Primary School had already sent in their application and was ready and willing to participate as soon as possible - Thus, we've decided to replace Esumeyia with Musudzu for now. Please take some time to meet Musudzu Primary and its students!

 

 




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: Musudzu Primary School

October, 2018

Students are visibly happy, especially Caleb Musonye, now that they don’t have to waste time fetching water in the middle of their school day.

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Musudzu Primary 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 construct a rainwater catchment tank for Musudzu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – and we’re excited to share this one from Janet Kayi with you.

We are so humbled, excited, and happy to see children, men, and women enjoying clean and safe water from the rainwater tank.

"Students come to school very early for preps and no longer have to first fetch water from their unprotected springs near their homes to use in school," Headteacher David Sakwa Anyolo said. "The burden of fetching water away from the school and the wasting of valuable studying time is no longer a problem."

David Sakwa Anyolo

Construction of the tank is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This tank in Musudzu Primary School is changing many lives.

Children are very clean and smart in their uniforms, proving to us that they internalized everything they were taught during the hygiene training last year. We saw that the students enjoy washing their hands at the handwashing stations to remove the dust after playing and germs after visiting the toilet.

"The toilets we used to have were very pathetic and our health was poor. The improved toilets built for our school have helped improve our situation," 13-year-old student Caleb Musonye said.

Caleb Musonye

This is only possible because of the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise 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 Musudzu 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 Musudzu 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.