Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Mar 2017

Functionality Status:  Water Flowing - Needs Attention

Last Checkup: 02/02/2024

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 Community

"The routine schedule of most of Givunji Village is doing household chores, fetching water, attending to farms and looking for any other means of getting income. Most of the people here are unemployed, so one has to work extra hard to get a living," said local woman Faith Imali.

Community member Mr. Thomas Iraya was the one who heard about the opportunity to get his spring protected. His two friends, Mr. Mwachi and Mr. Moses benefited from Mido Spring and Hedwe Spring respectively. These men invited Mr. Iraya to see the work that was done in their communities, and he was very impressed. He immediately approached our staff and asked that we visit his spring too.

Givunji Village is home to 822 people from 100 different households. (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.)

Water Situation

Givunji Spring is Givunji Village's only source of water, besides the rainwater collected in containers kept outside each home. Givunji Spring is on Mr. Thomas Iraya's land. "We lack clean and safe sources of water. This spring is a blessing to many, but its unprotected state is also our cause of worry," he shared.

Givunji Spring is also shared with the neighboring villages of Vukuvera and Minyika. Mr. Iraya said that "the area is highly populated, and thus the spring is serving the needs of at least 100 households with approximately 822 people." Not only is the spring's water contaminated, but the area is always busy. The more activity at Givunji Spring, the muddier the water gets.

We know that Givunji Spring is contaminated because of the numerous reports of waterborne disease. Our visit to the spring confirmed this fact; the water is out in the open with no barriers to protect it from erosion, surface runoff, and human and animal activities.

Each person brings a small cup that they dip in the spring to bail water and fill their water container. These containers are as big as a woman or child can bear to carry! The water is then brought home and used for drinking, cooking, bathing, and watering animals.

When home, water is separated into different containers by use. Drinking water is kept in covered pots either in the kitchen or living room. The rest of the water is dumped in larger plastic barrels and saved for cleaning and watering animals.

Mrs. Imali added, "We drink dirty water! That has predisposed many of us to a lot of ill health conditions. There has been a lot of stomach distress cases, more so among children who sometimes drink raw water at the spring point."

Sanitation Situation

Under half of the homes in Givunji Village have their own pit latrine. The few latrines we saw are unsafe for children to use; the floors are unstable, doors are missing, and there are holes in the walls. The people who do not have their own latrine either share with their neighbors or seek the privacy of bushes.

There are no hand-washing stations and very few sanitation tools like dish racks and clotheslines. Garbage from the kitchen is given to poultry, and animal waste is used on the farms.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community members will attend hygiene and sanitation training for at least three days. This training will ensure participants are no longer ignorant about healthy practices and their importance. The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation), CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation), ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring.

Training will also result in the formation of a committee that will oversee operations and maintenance at the spring. They will enforce proper behavior around the spring and delegate tasks that will help preserve the site, such as building a fence and digging proper drainage.

Plans: Sanitation Platforms

On the final day of training, participants will select five families that should benefit from new latrines.

Training will also inform the community and selected families on what they need to contribute to make this project a success. They must mobilize locally available materials, such as bricks, clean sand, hardcore, and ballast. The five families must prepare by sinking a pit for the sanitation platforms to be placed over. All community members must work together to make sure that accommodations and food are always provided for the work teams.

Mrs. Imali has already approached us asking to benefit from one of the sanitation platforms. She is one of many. "Please consider my request for a latrine slab. When I saw the slab that your artisans casted at my friend's home, I went ahead to dig my pit by faith. Now I thank God you have come to our village," she exclaimed.

Plans: Spring Protection

Fetching water is predominantly a female role, done by both women and young girls. Protecting the spring and offering training and support will therefore help empower the female members of the community by giving them more time and efforts to engage and invest in income-generating activities.

In addition, protecting the spring will ensure that the water is safe, adequate and secure. Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water. Mrs. Faith Imali is ready to do whatever it takes to see her spring protected so that her children can drink water from a safe source.

Project Updates


May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Givunji Community, Givunji Spring

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

Trainer Erick shows how to cough and sneeze into the elbow

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Givunji, Kenya.

Demonstrating how to use a leaky tin

We trained more than 10 people on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19. Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

Handwashing demonstration

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

Handwashing demonstration

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

Homemade mask tutorial

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point, along with a sign with reminders of what we covered.

Attaching poles to the sign to post it at the spring

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

Demonstrating how to properly put on and wear a mask

We continue to stay in touch with this community as the pandemic progresses. We want to ensure their water point remains functional and their community stays informed about the virus.

An elder reviews the informational pamphlet on COVID-19

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




December, 2017: A Year Later: Givungi Spring

A year ago, generous donors helped build a spring protection with the community surrounding Givunji Spring 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, Samuel Simidi, 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: Givunji Spring

November, 2017

We have been able to get clean, safe drinking water for our household chores compared to the days when our water was contaminated which was a risk to us.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Givunji Community 2.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Givunji Community 2 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 with the community surrounding Givunji Spring 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, Samuel Simidi, with you.


There has been a tremendous improvement in the life of the members of the community that include: (i) Members have been able to save on time at the spring as it is accessible and convenient for them, (ii) Cases of water related diseases is now a thing of the past - attributed to the clean, safe water available for them, (iii) Members have been able to observe personal hygiene - attributed to the training they underwent on health and hygiene and also (iv) the members lives have improved since the formation of the group from where members are able to get loans to improve their businesses.

Community member Sarah Eraya shared her experiences since the spring was protected last year. “We have been able to get clean, safe drinking water for our household chores compared to the days when our water was contaminated which was a risk to us. Time wasted at the spring has now been a thing of the past, the spring is convenient and accessible to all members at their time of need.”

“I have been able to create sufficient time in my studies,” shares 16-year-old Francis Lihanda, “this has been attributed to the convenience of the spring as you find that children are the majority who normally go to fetch water at the spring. Open defecation is now a thing of the past since the installation of the sanitation platform. In our home, we never had a toilet but thanks to our donors we were able to come up with one.”

The members are a happy group, grateful for the water project carried out in their village. Members of the community still need more training on spring protection and maintenance. From our visit at the spring, we did find the spring dirty and also the members were stepping on the water catchment area which is prohibited. We took the initiative to encourage the members to clean the spring and to fence the catchment area which they agreed to do so.


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 Givunji Community 2 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 Givunji Community 2 – 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

13 individual donor(s)