June, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Musango Community, Mwichinga 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.

Issuing informational pamphlets on COVID-19

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 Musango, Kenya.

Cough and sneeze into the elbow

We trained more than 31 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.

Homemade mask tutorial

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.

A woman tries on the mask she made at training

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.

Highlighting the importance of soap in handwashing

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.

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.

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.

Installing the prevention reminders chart at the spring

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.

May, 2019: Musango Community, Mwichinga Spring Project Complete

Musango Community is celebrating its new protected spring, so celebrate with them! Mwichinga Spring has been transformed into a flowing, safe source of water thanks to your donation. The spring is protected from contamination, five sanitation platforms have been provided for the community, and training has been done on sanitation and hygiene.

Spring Protection

Construction at Mwichinga Spring was successful and water is now flowing from the discharge pipe.

"In fact, this dry season made the situation [at the spring] more terrible. The water quantity reduced and collecting it from the ground was becoming hectic since there are so many of us. One had just to scoop mud in the name of water but after protection, all this water has been brought together - making the quantity of the water go high and thus enabling it to come through the drawing pipe," exclaimed Mercy Lukoko.

"This miracle has come in so handy! We are so excited!"

The Process:

Community members provided all locally available construction materials, e.g bricks, clean sand, wheelbarrows of ballast, and gravel. Some even made extra efforts to work alongside the artisan after delivering all of the materials. Community members also hosted our artisans for the duration of construction.

The spring area was excavated with jembes, hoes, and spades to create space for setting the foundation of polyethylene, wire mesh, and concrete.

After the base had been set, both wing walls and the headwall were set in place using brickwork. The discharge pipe was fixed low in place through the headwall to direct the water from the reservoir to the drawing area.

As the wing walls and headwall cured, the stairs were set and ceramic tiles were fixed directly below the discharge pipe.

The ceramic tiles installed under the discharge pipe protect the concrete from the erosive force of the falling water and beautifies the spring. The process of plastering the headwall and wing walls on both sides reinforces the brickwork and prevents water from the reservoir from seeping through the walls and allows pressure to build in the collection box to push water up through the discharge pipe.

The concrete dried over the course of five days, during which a community member wetted the concrete to make sure it would dry without cracking. The source area was filled up with clean stones and sand and covered with a polyethylene membrane to eliminate any potential sources of contamination.

Layering materials between the spring eyes and the discharge pipe

After the backfilling was done at the reservoir area, the community members were already waiting and ready with poles and nails to help the artisan fence in the area.

Carrying wood to build a fence around the spring

Sanitation Platforms

All five sanitation platforms have been installed and make wonderful, easy to clean latrine floors. These five families are happy about this milestone of having a latrine of their own. We will continue to encourage them to finish building walls and roofs over their new latrine floors as we visit for monitoring and evaluation.

New Knowledge

We worked with local carpenter Evans Mukhwana to find a good time and place for hygiene and sanitation training. He was able to offer insight into the community schedule so that we'd get the best turnout. Once we had decided, Mr. Mukhwana went door to door to invite everyone who draws water from Mwichinga Spring.

The weather on the training day was sunny and hot. We chose to have sessions in the shade under the trees at one of the community members' homestead. The participants were comfortable sitting on the ground with a cool breeze.

Participants learned about:

– Leadership and governance for the spring committee
– Management and maintenance of the spring

During this topic, the participants learned the importance of keeping their spring in good shape. They were enlightened on some practices that could damage their spring and even contaminate their water. Practices, like doing laundry at the spring and constructing latrines upstream within 10 meters, were discouraged. Placing filled containers on the spring protection wall and letting domestic animals access the spring would also cause damage to the cement. They then elected leaders who would see to the management of the spring. The facilitator encouraged them to call upon the office in case of a major water issue.

– Family planning
– Personal hygiene, including handwashing

– Dental hygiene
– Waterborne and water-related disease, along with water treatment methods

For the session about water, the facilitator took the participants through the dos and don'ts of water handling. They were advised to change drinking water in their storage containers every three days. Sitting on the same jerrycans used to fetch water was discouraged. They also learned that using containers that have no lids and dipping fingers in can also contaminate water. They were advised to ensure that the containers used to store water are covered and are regularly washed.

The topic brought a lot of enthusiasm because many community members wanted to know why we said they might continue to experience problems despite their water having been protected. They had believed that once the water is protected, all would be well. They had no idea that some of their daily practices when fetching and storing water could recontaminate it.

"Little did I ever know that carrying water in a bucket without a lid can contaminate my water. I thought that washing the bucket was enough to keep my water safe," said Mrs. Kangu.

"I have learned a lot today that will help me and my family."

Thank You for making all of this possible!

February, 2019: Musango Community, Mwichinga Spring Project Underway

Dirty water from Mwichinga Spring is making people in Musango Community sick. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to build a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this community through the narrative and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!