Project Status



Project Type:  Rainwater Catchment

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Feb 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/09/2024

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).

This project was previously scheduled to be done at St. Vincent Hirumbi, but the school asked to be reconsidered for a project next year.

Welcome to the School

Shibale Primary School was started in 1988, and has grown to have a huge enrollment of 864 students who are taught by 19 teachers. The school also employs two support staff. (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 begins at 6am as students leave home for school. Lower classes are required to be there by 7am to clean up the school compound. On Mondays and Fridays there is a morning assembly whereat the flag is raised. The teacher on duty addresses the pupils and invites other teachers to brief the pupils on what is expected of them. Normal classes begin at 8am and go until 4:30pm. At 4:30pm, students must stay for either sports or another club of interest. There are those who are good at poem recitation, drama, football and many other things, but everyone should participate in an activity. At 5pm they all assemble again and are then dismissed to return home and help their parents with chores.

Most people who live in this area are traders who wake up very early in the morning to man their stalls.

Water Situation

Shibale Primary is connected to a tap water system, but it is extremely unreliable. They are lucky to find water in the pipes for two days a week. When the tap is running, the school tries to store as much as possible. The parents pooled together their resources to buy the school a 2,500-liter plastic tank which serves as the primary storage tank. Unfortunately, 2,500 liters of water is not nearly enough for the majority of the week, and the school finds themselves at a deficit.

Students are then sent on in search of water. One of the most popular sources is an open hole in the ground. A bucket is tied to a rope and lowered down to bring up water. This is particularly dangerous and difficult work for small children, as they risk falling in and drowning. However, this hole does not provide water during the driest months of the year.

Students are spending precious study time in search of water; water for drinking, cooking lunch, and cleaning.

Sanitation Situation

The school faces a lot of challenges when it comes to sanitation. The school had 10 pit latrines, but four of those are destroyed and no longer in use. Two of the remaining six are set aside for teachers. That leaves only four latrines for 864 students.

The students spend a ridiculous amount of time during break and cutting into class time lined up waiting at the latrines. Many of these small children can't bear the wait and instead look for privacy behind the classroom buildings.

And after our visit to the school, we received notice that the Ministry of Health closed down the rest of the latrines and soon after shut the school down. At this moment, only grade eight students are allowed inside to finish their national exams. If nothing is done, this school will not open again in 2018.

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 have to leave school in search of water.

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: Shibale Primary School

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to construct a rainwater tank for Shibale 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...




February, 2018: Shibale Primary School Project Complete

Shibale 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

The deputy principal worked with us to select student leaders from each class to attend hygiene and sanitation training. However, the eighth graders were not represented since they were about to sit for final exams and then graduate. The rest of these students will use their leadership skills to start a CTC (child to child) health club that will recruit other students to participate in hygiene and sanitation activities inside and outside the school. There was a total number of 15 students there. We all met under a tree in the school compound, near the tank that was under construction.

Participants posing for a group picture by their tank that's underway.

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

The new hand-washing stations were delivered in time for training.

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.

"My name is Suleiman and I am in class six. At home, we used to pour water in a large basin and then me and my siblings would all dip in our hands to wash. Little did we know that we were collecting more germs instead of reducing the germs. Now I am aware of proper hand-washing thanks to my teachers. Stomachaches will be a thing of the past. I am so eager to go and spread this gospel to my siblings, parents and other pupils."

Miss Suleiman

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. Students themselves shuttled bricks from the delivery location to the construction site. They also carried extra water to the construction site with the great expectation that they wouldn't have to carry heavy water containers again!

The construction 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.

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 Shibale Primary School. It already has some water in it!

Headteacher Khalumi said, "Before this project came to our school, or children really suffered both academically and physically due to lack of safe drinking water. We are ready to work with you to make sure these facilities are always in good working condition!"

This school had been previously scheduled for the 2018 work year, but during our engagement with the school we found out that the ministry of health had just issued a letter threatening to shut down the school. This is because there were way too few latrines for the students. They even followed through in shutting down education here but for the eighth grade classes because they were preparing for the national exam. Mr. Khalumi said, "Thank you so much for being considerate enough to fund this project now. This has saved many pupils who would still be at home waiting for administration to put up more latrines!"




December, 2017: Shibale Primary School Project Underway

Shibale 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: Shibale Primary School

December, 2018

“The water project has created a great passion for learning in me.” – Precious Adhiambo, 15

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Shibale 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 Shibale 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 Betty Majani with you.

The implementation of the water project in this school has resulted in massive positive changes over the past year. The school is no longer dirty and unkempt. Instead, aesthetic improvements make the school an attractive center for the students, and enrollment has been steadily increasing.

Student absenteeism is now history, since pupils access clean and safe water. This has improved not only the academic performance of each pupil but also the school's overall rating. All these changes are attributed to the water project.

"The implementation of the project has increased the population of the school," reported Headteacher Simon Khalumi.

"It has improved the hygiene and sanitation level of the school, thus promoting good health among the pupils."

Headteacher Simon Khalumi and students at the tank

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 Shibale Primary School is changing many lives.

One example is Precious Adhiambo. She told us that she is no longer sick as often thanks to the good drinking water from the tank. As a result, she is performing better in school.

Precious Adhiambo

"The water project has created a great passion for learning in me, thus guaranteeing a brighter future," she said. "God bless you."

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 Shibale 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 Shibale 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

The Hermosillo Family
Marcia and Philip Rothblum Foundation Inc.
Cornvinus Trading ltd
The Schultz Family Sharing Fund
Kissel Hill Elementary School