Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Program: Kenyan Spring Protection

Impact: 282 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - May 2014

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 03/19/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

This project is being implemented by our partner Western Water And Sanitation Forum, and includes the construction of a spring protection system.

This unprotected spring is located in Emusaka village, Shirakaru sub location, East Butsosto location in Lurambi constituency. The spring is serving a total number of 282 people from 30 households of which 130 are male, 150 and 2 disabled.

Justification

The spring serves the community within a radius of 1 kilometer. This makes the women and children to walk a long distance in search of the water from this unprotected spring. These women and children waste a lot of time searching for water and thus resulting to conflicts in the homes as they delayed in serving their families.

As a result of women walking long distances in search of safe water, there are reported cases of petty thefts in their homes by outsiders and idlers within the community. When it rains their water is normally contaminated because it’s unprotected hence resulting to out breaks of water borne diseases. Typhoid is the most common disease in the area and malaria due to stagnant waters. The community would spend a lot of money treating the water borne diseases that they would otherwise spent for other economical activities.

Due to lack of toilets many people have resulted to use the sugar cane plantations for defecation this again contaminates the water when it rains washes the waste in to the unprotected spring. As a result, there are frequent cases of waterborne diseases.  At one point, 15 households were affected.

A majority of the community members around the springs have no latrines and those that have are in poor state.

Due to strong cultural beliefs that a toilet cannot be shared between a father in-law and daughter in-law, some community members opt to use open places like bushes and sugarcane plantations. Children on the other hand cannot use some toilets due to fear of falling in the big holes. This open defecation cases pose a major risk for the community to suffer from water borne diseases especially during the heavy rains as the feces are washed into the unprotected Furi water spring.

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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!