Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jan 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 04/05/2024

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

Muhudu Primary School was founded in 1914 by community members who provided the land the school is now built on. The school currently has a population of 330 boys, 370 girls, and 16 teachers. The school also employs one cook and one security guard. (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.)

A normal day for people living in this area starts very early in the morning. Parents prepare breakfast and get ready to go to their farms, while children prepare for school. School activities begin at 7 am with morning study hall, then assembly at 8 am when the teachers on duty give announcements. Students attend regular classes from 8:15 am to 4:15 pm with an hour lunch in the middle. Finally, the pupils end the day with game time from 4:15 pm to 5 pm.

Teachers are in charge of teaching various subjects ranging from science, social studies, maths to languages. Pupils attend lessons, play in the field, and help clean the compound as well as their classrooms. This school is situated in a very quiet environment, but the road network is unpaved, which presents a challenge during the rainy season.

Water Situation

Though this is one of the oldest schools in the area, water and sanitation is still a looming challenge. Pupils are forced to carry water every day from their homes to be used at the school for various purposes like preparing tea for the teachers and cooking food during lunch time. The school cook makes a lunch meal for both the teachers and class eight pupils... maize and beans for students and rice and beans for the teachers.

Students report that they primarily go to open hand-dug wells in their villages, using a bucket and rope to draw up the water and fill their small jerrycans.

The school was given Life Straw containers to help in purification of the water pupils carry from their homes. Even though these containers are meant to purify the water, some of them have been turned into hand-washing facilities.

Not only are students tired after carrying dirty water all the way from home to school on a daily basis, but they are still suffering from waterborne disease after these great efforts.

Sanitation Situation

There are 10 pit latrines for students and teachers combined. Because the school has to depend only on the water students are able to carry, there sometimes isn't enough to keep these latrines clean. And with such high enrollment at this school, that puts 70 students on just one latrine. That's way above the recommendation from WHO (World Health Organization) to have no more than 25 to 30 students using one latrine!

The headteacher has been searching for help in building more facilities to help ease this congestion and overuse, and the opportunity has finally arrived. "As a school, we have been trying so hard to get donors to help us put up extra latrines and water storage tank but have not been successful. The Water Project through WEWASAFO is a great blessing to us, for we surely know that all these issues which have been a real shame to us will now come to an end in... I believe that this is an opportunity that has come at its right time because if you look at the situation of our school, you may not have a smile but pity and unseen wishes of help will be running deep in your heart. The Constituency Development Fund have been promising to help us but still no much done on that part," the headteacher shared.

As mentioned above, the school has converted a Life Straw container into a hand-washing station, but it's not located near the latrines.

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. Three doors will serve the girls while the other three serve the boys. And with a new source of water on school grounds, students and staff should have enough to keep these new latrines clean.

Plans: Rainwater Catchment Tank

A 50,000-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 (students have already started helping). Once finished, this tank can begin catching rainfall that will be used by the school’s students and staff. Students will no longer be responsible to find enough water to carry to school every day.

We and the school strongly believe that with this assistance, standards will significantly improve. These higher standards will translate to better academic performance!

Project Updates


December, 2018: A Year Later: Muhudu Primary School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a rainwater tank for Muhudu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local 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...




January, 2018: Muhudu Primary School Project Complete

Muhudu 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 young students!

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

Headteacher Indeche helped a lot with inviting people to attend hygiene and sanitation training. He made sure to contact all of the neighboring parents to give them the chance to join teachers and students in learning new, healthy practices. Sessions were held in one of the largest classrooms so there was room for group discussions, role plays, and demonstrations.

Students huddled together for group discussions.

We taught that hygiene entails personal hygiene, water hygiene, and environmental hygiene. Attention needs to be given to each facet of hygiene to enjoy a healthy life.

An entire lesson was 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

– Cleaning self and clean environment

– 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.

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. And since the tank was finished by the time we held training, we could take everyone to see exactly what we were talking about when it comes to caring for their new water source.

The chairman of the PTA, Mr. Solomon Busolo, appreciated what he learned. "I have been to many seminars, but today, the message passed to us has touched on key areas of our failures: Lack of safe water, proper hygiene practices, and sound sanitation facilities which are vital in any institution," he said.

Training participants posing for a group picture.

Project Result: VIP Latrines

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

Project Result: Hand-Washing Stations

The two hand-washing stations were delivered to school and handed over to the CTC club. These have been placed outside of boys’ and girls’ latrines to encourage hand-washing after latrine use. CTC club members 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.

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. Some local men and women even helped our artisans with their manual labor.

The process officially began with our staff and school administration moving around the school compound to try and determine the best location for a new rainwater catchment tank. This needed to be the best site with good, clean roofing to catch the rainwater.

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.

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. The catchment area was dug, plastered, and a staircase installed.

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.

The artisan preparing the breather pipes.

Drainage was set up, and then the tank was given three to four weeks to undergo complete curing before it was cleaned and handed over to Muhudu Primary School. It already has some water in it!

Students no longer have to carry water to school on a daily basis, and their teachers don't need to second guess the quality of water. There's now clean, safe water on school grounds and everyone's happy about that. Headteacher Indeche said, "This big water tank is going to set us free from the headache of thinking on how to overcome the challenge of accessing safe, clean drinking water for my pupils and the teachers as well as staff."




November, 2017: Muhudu Primary School Project Underway

Muhudu Primary School in Kenya has begun building a new source of safe, clean water because of your generous donation. A rainwater catchment tank and new latrines are being constructed, hand-washing stations provided, and the school is being trained on proper sanitation and hygiene practices. Imagine the impact this will have on these students! Thank you for noticing the need here, and we’ll keep you posted as the work continues. But for now, please enjoy the new stories, pictures, and maps of this school.

Thank You for partnering with us to unlock the potential of these young 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: Muhudu Primary School

December, 2018

“We have enough time for our studies and now we have improved in our academics.” – Wilikister Kageha, 14, student

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Muhudu 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, your generous donation enabled us to construct a rainwater tank for Muhudu Primary School in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local 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 local team member Janet Kayi with you.

Immediately as we entered the gate of Muhudu Primary School, good hygiene practice is evident. We enjoyed walking around the clean compound that has been well-maintained by the student sanitation club that was started during our training a year ago. We saw pupils enjoying treated water from the 50,000-liter tank that was constructed last year. The school's appreciation of this precious commodity is obvious in the way they have constructed a gate around the tap to protect it.

The warm welcome and the smiles on their faces tell it all. Things at Muhudu Primary School have improved significantly since the completion of the project a year ago.

We spoke with Deputy Headteacher David Ivayo Imbayia and 14-year-old student Wilikister Kageha about the changes they have witnessed at the school.

"Since the project was completed, we no longer carry water from home every morning for use in school as before. We have enough time for our studies and now we have improved in our academics," Wilikister said.

Field Officer Janet Kayi, Wilikister Kageha, Deputy Headteacher David Ivayo Imbayia, and Solomon Msolo

These changes are apparent to the community, said Mr. Imbayia. The school attracted more students in the past year and they expect enrollment to increase even more as the new school year starts in January.

"The facilities have changed the face of the school and attracted the community members who are bringing in their children for admission," he said.

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 project in Muhudu Primary School is changing many lives.

"For us as girls, there was no privacy due to poor latrines, but now we are safe," Wilikster told us.

"The latrines which were constructed in the school have a barrier wall which enhances privacy."

Wilikister Kageha with field officer Janet Kayi at the water tank

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 Muhudu 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 Muhudu 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.


Contributors

1 individual donor(s)