Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jul 2016

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/13/2023

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 Community

This unprotected spring is located in Emasera Village, Murumba sub-location, Butsotso East location, Lurambi Sub-County of Kakamega County. It serves 25 households with a total population of 200 people, out of which 95 are male and 105 are female. The spring also serves 800 pupils from Emasera Community School that relies on this unprotected spring as their only source of water. (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 site would make a great location for a second project. To learn more, click here.)

Most who live in Emasera Village are farmers who wake up very early to start working. They grow crops like maize, cassava, sweet potato, arrowroot, and bananas. After eating breakfast, the men either go to their own farms or someone else's to generate income. As the sun sets, the men return home to graze and water their own animals. While the men are doing all this, women start tackling the household chores. These include fetching water, washing utensils, sweeping, washing clothes, or gathering firewood. And those are only a few examples! If women finish their chores at a decent time, they will join the men on their farms. All the while, children have one of two places to be: either helping parents are studying at school!

Water Situation

The community uses the spring's water for household chores like cooking, drinking, washing, watering animals, and irrigation of their nearby vegetable gardens.

Unfortunately, Wetai Spring is located at the bottom of a slope. This makes it prone to contamination from surface runoff and soil erosion. Farming activities done near the spring also lead to contamination of the water as chemicals and loose soil from the farms end up in the water source making it unsuitable for human consumption. Students from the nearby school and community members further contaminate the water by stepping into it as they fetch. On the social side, there have been many conflicts arising between locals and students who fight about who has the right to draw water first.

Cases of waterborne and related diseases like typhoid, diarrhea, cholera, coughs, and malaria have been reported. "I am appealing to WEWASAFO and The Water Project to help us protect this spring because there are many cases of waterborne diseases reported in the area. My first wife Mikali Asiko is just an example: She has suffered from typhoid for a very long time. Typhoid and diarrhea has been the order of the day in my family, and this is very disappointing. I have lost more than 50,000 shillings while trying to treat these diseases," laments local father Henry Wesaya.

Sanitation Situation

Sanitation and hygiene is also a challenge to this community. Many community members lack latrines, and the few who have them have allowed deterioration into very poor and pathetic conditions. The young and the old, in most cases, opt to relieve themselves in the bush and behind the houses. They believe this to be much safer than stepping on old, rickety boards suspended over a dark and dirty pit!

While collecting the baseline information, it was observed that most of the community members do not have clotheslines and dish racks. Drying utensils and clothes on the ground can greatly increase disease transmission with a community. Just imagine the situation when no more than 50% of households have latrines, chickens and goats wander around, and dishes are on the ground. There's a connection between these things!

Project Plans

In order to increase access to safe drinking water in this community, Wetai Spring should be protected. Protection of this spring will save the community members and Emasera Community School pupils a lot of the time that is lost while queuing and waiting for dirty water to clear.

Sanitation and hygiene training will also be conducted so that locals can understand the importance of living in a healthy environment. When participants are sensitized to how some of their behaviors have resulted in ill health, they will be motivated to adopt new practices: build latrines, dish racks, and clothes; store water proper and treat it before drinking; manage and maintain Wetai Spring.
The community members have already agreed to attend this training for three days, and are willing to make a 20% contribution to take ownership of this initiative. By the end of the three days of hygiene and sanitation training, community members will also have voted on five households that should benefit from new latrines.

Project Updates


November, 2017: A Year Later: Wetai Spring

A year ago, generous donors helped build a spring protection and sanitation platforms for the community surrounding Wetai Spring in Kenya. Because of these gifts and 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, Jonathan Mutai, with you.




Project Photos


Project Type

Springs are water sources that come from deep underground, where the water is filtered through natural layers until it is clean enough to drink. Once the water pushes through the surface of the Earth, however, outside elements like waste and runoff can contaminate the water quickly. We protect spring sources from contamination with a simple waterproof cement structure surrounding layers of clay, stone, and soil. This construction channels the spring’s water through a discharge pipe, making water collection easier, faster, and cleaner. Each spring protection also includes a chlorine dispenser at the waterpoint so community members can be assured that the water they are drinking is entirely safe. Learn more here!


A Year Later: Wetai Spring

September, 2017

“Project beneficiaries are now enjoying good health as a result of project implementation, unlike before where waterborne diseases had hindered development progress of the community members. The situation has now changed after spring protection. The water source has become free from agents of contamination and diseases.”

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Emasera Community.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Emasera Community 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 spring protection and sanitation platforms for the community surrounding Wetai Spring in Kenya. Because of these gifts and 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, Jonathan Mutai, with you.

Life for people of all ages is changing in Wetai because of access to clean water at the protected spring.  Henry Wesayia, a chairman in the community, states “Records of waterborne diseases have generally reduced.  School fees can now be paid without a lot of challenges because production increased due to increased labor force.”

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Regular health and hygiene training promotes sustainable practices for long-term health impact. WEWASAFO will continue supporting Wetai to ensure that clean water is not only available, but also that the community has tools to keep the water clean until drinking it.

In addition, WEWASAFO trains and challenges the community to build and maintain clean latrines. Josephine Wesa, a four-year-old in the community, expressed gratitude that she can now use a latrine instead of relieving herself in the bushes. The nearby water point and the protected latrine continue to provide girls like Josephine a safer community environment, more time for education, and improved health for years to come.

Jonathan Mutai, who works with our partner organization WEWASAFO reports, “On arrival at Wetai community, you will now see a good environment with different plantations ranging from subsistence crops to trees for general use. This is indeed evidence that the community members have taken action after project implementation.”

As Wetai Spring continues to provide safe drinking water to the surrounding community, the people are freed to pursue their own vision for a flourishing life.  We are excited to stay in touch with this community and report back more positive findings.

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 Emasera Community 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 Emasera Community – 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.