July, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Sambuli Community, Nechesa 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.

Handwashing demonstration

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 Sambuli, Kenya.

We trained more than 27 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.

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.

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.

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.

Homemade facemask tutorial

Participants were particularly curious to know whether bar soap could really destroy or wash away disease-causing agents from hands, since the liquid handwashing soap is very expensive for them. The facilitators explained to the group that it is equally good to wash hands with bar soap following the right procedure and it will kill and wash away all bacteria and viruses just as the liquid soap would.

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.

Prevention reminders chart installed 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: Sambuli Community, Nechesa Spring Project Complete

Sambuli Community is celebrating its new protected spring, so celebrate with them! Nechesa 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 Nechesa Spring was successful and water is now flowing from the discharge pipe.

"Previously we had been waking up early in the morning as early as 5 am so that we could get clean (clear because the mud at the bottom of the spring had not been stirred up with constant use) water to drink, and by the time the sun rises the water is contaminated. This made it difficult for us to carry out our daily activities!" reflected Mrs. Wekesa.

"But with this new water point, we will fetch clean and safe water at any time. As a community, we thank you and urge you to continue with the same spirit of helping others."

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. Community members also cleared brush and overgrowth from the area to make the environment safer.

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.

Plastering the stairs

The ceramic tiles installed under the discharge pipe protect the concrete from the erosive force of the falling water and beautify 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.

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.

The final touches for backfilling the area between the discharge pipe and the spring eye

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

As construction began, we talked to our main contact person concerning the need for hygiene and sanitation training. Mr. Soita is a member of the country assembly and a highly respected leader in Sambuli. He consulted with community members to settle on the most convenient date for training. We encouraged him to invite everyone who would be interested in the training even if he or she is not a user of Nechesa Spring.

It was a sunny morning and due to high temperatures, we carried out a brief onsite training at the spring and then moved to a nearby homestead where we could enjoy the shade of trees.

Participants pose for a quick group picture after onsite training on spring care

Participants learned about:

– Leadership and governance for the spring committee

Community members learned about values that make a good leader, and then they voted on leaders for their new spring water committee. The community members were surprised to see a young man being elected by a high number of people compared to an older man who did not get any votes, and this challenged most of the young people to step up and vie for an important role in managing and protecting their new water source.

– Management and maintenance of the spring

– Family planning
– Personal hygiene, including handwashing

After having helped the community understand what health is, the trainer inquired how people practice good health in their daily lives. Many admitted to not be so aware of their health in their day to day lives. Some admitted to eating food on the farm without washing their hands and even after visiting the toilet. At this point, the trainer introduced handwashing to the community members.

He demonstrated to the participants the correct way of washing hands using running water and soap. The community members were shocked at how they have been washing their hands the wrong way. The ten steps of handwashing amazed them with almost every participant wanting to try them out. Previously, many people had just been dunking their hands in a bowl of water to rinse them.

– Dental hygiene

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

"Knowledge is power! The training has greatly empowered us to deal with any challenge concerning hygiene and water safety in our community at large," said Mr. Muyeikho.

Thank You for making all of this possible!

February, 2019: Sambuli Community, Nechesa Spring Project Underway

Dirty water from Nechesa Spring is making people in Sambuli 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 news of success!