The Water Project’s WaSH program in Western Kenya aims to access, protect, filter, and purify the abundant waters that are available through two seasonal rains, prevalent springs, high water tables, and deep aquifers in the region. Explore water projects in communities, schools, and churches in Western Kenya such as protected springs, rainwater catchment systems, and water wells. This program emphasizes the power of strategic geographical saturation of projects, effective hygiene and sanitation training, and relational networking between NGOs, health workers, local politicians, and educators.
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!
Rehabilitation Project
Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.
There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing it because a project fell into disrepair.
Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.
Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct the well and install a hand pump.
Engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.
Local Leadership
Water projects don’t last long without the help of local leaders. They’re the ones who explain the situation on the ground to us (and our donors!) while also outlining our goals and intentions for the community members.
The Water Project identifies, supports, and partners with local organizations that share our vision of reliable, verifiable, and clean water. Together, we build lasting local solutions and undertake ongoing monitoring and resolution to ensure our solutions are still working years into the future.
Community Engagement
We engage the communities we work with at every step of a water project.
These interactions are rooted in relationship-building. We involve the community in implementation, set expectations for water point management, prepare community members for ongoing costs, and more. All of this happens before a water project is installed.
The people receiving a water project get a leading seat at the table. Every water project we implement requires negotiations with several interested parties. During this step and every other, we continuously try to embody our favorite ideals: reliability, relationship, and trust.
Chlorine Dispenser
We install uniquely engineered chlorine dispensers at all of our spring protection projects so community members can treat their water with a pre-measured dose of chlorine. Diluted chlorine is a regular part of water treatment, worldwide. The chlorine stays active for two to three days, ensuring water stays safe to use even when stored at home. Both the chlorine delivery and the maintenance of these dispensers are a part of our ongoing community support.
Sanitation Platform (SanPlat)
Easily made latrine slabs encourage household bathroom construction.
Proper hygiene and sanitation facilities go hand-in-hand with access to clean, reliable water.
A SanPlat is most literally the slab one would squat over when utilizing the bathroom.
The community chooses 5 households to receive SanPlats made on site under our training and guidance. The goal: seeing the need for safe latrines throughout their community, each household will be inspired to build their own.
Hygiene and Sanitation Training
For many communities, water is just the beginning. Living without water deprioritizes things that deplete water rations, like bathing, cleaning, and even handwashing. Also, in some cases, community members who couldn’t afford to go to school never learned topics usually covered in health classes. A steady water supply on its own won’t solve these issues, which is why we train the people in every community, school, and health center we provide with a water project.
Although we tailor the subjects we cover in each training to each region and community, there are some staples we always touch on: water handling and storage; personal and environmental hygiene; disease transmission; how to form and maintain a water user committee; and the operation/maintenance of the community’s new water project.
With each training, our goal is to empower communities to take back their personal health so growth and development can begin.
Monitoring and Resolution
Sub-Saharan Africa is littered with broken and abandoned wells installed by well-meaning people.
We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, reliability is the true measure of our impact.
Water can only transform lives if it’s always there. Water-fetchers need to know that when they visit one of our water points, there will always be water. Sometimes, it only takes one sip of dirty water to make someone sick, even if they’d been drinking clean water for months beforehand.
This is why we measure our water projects’ downtime in hours, not days or weeks. Each hour is critical to someone’s life, and each hour someone has to wait for clean water is another opportunity to go back to the rivers, swamps, and scoop holes they resorted to before our water project was installed. Our past water projects are just as important as what we tackle in the future.
The Water Project monitors all of our water projects to make sure water service continues. To learn more about how you can help with ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and resolution, read about The Water Promise: a group of amazing, world-changing monthly donors who understand the power of keeping water flowing long after the installation is done.
Project Timeline FAQ
Project Status
We’re working hard to make sure your gifts result in a lasting water project for the community it serves. Our engagement with a community begins many months before construction and lasts years after construction. The timeline here is focused on the physical construction of the water project. There is also training and engagement work that has already started.
Water project construction in the developing world is hard work. A lot of things can and do cause delays - which are normal. We attempt to make our best judgment of when construction will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.
Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and progress of community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes speed up) a project's completion.
We will always tell you if anything changes. And, if you get a notice like this – it’s actually further proof your gifts are being carefully used towards a water project that lasts.
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Report Submitted by Georgina Kamau, Field Officer
Georgina studied journalism and mass community. Her communication skills have flourished as she shares the stories of people who need clean water. She loves sharing new, empowering information with communities to help them live healthier lives.
Georgina has been a Field Officer since 2018, with WeWaSaFo, The Water Project's trusted partner in our Western Kenya WaSH Program.
Bukhaywa is a more developed area since they have both a primary and secondary school close by. They also have a shopping center where small scale traders sell and buy goods. At the time of our visit, the environment was very green with vegetation due to the current rainy season. The buildings here are predominantly semi-permanent with mud walls and grass-thatched roofs, with few permanent ones.
Community members here are small scale farmers. They grow maize, sugarcane, and vegetables. These crops are mostly used to feed their families, though the sugarcane is sold to local companies that turn the sugar into molasses.
A typical day in Bukhaywa starts at 6:30 am. The mother wakes up to prepare the children for school. She then goes to fetch water at Shidero Spring for cleaning and for cooking breakfast. The father wakes up later, eats breakfast, and leaves for the day's activities which could be farming or trading. The mother then locks the house and leaves for the farm and does what is needed for the season which is either planting or harvesting.
The younger children leave school at noon to come home for lunch which is prepared by the mother. The kids eat and play. The mother continues with the house activities like washing clothes and sweeping the compound. The day ends at 4:00 pm as everyone returns home to mingle and bond through stories, though the women continue on with cooking dinner for all to eat.
The water from Shidero Spring is clear and odorless, but insects and sand particles are noticeable in the water. These pose a danger of contracting waterborne diseases. The spring is in the middle of Andrew Shidero's farm, and it has always had plenty of water. Even during the driest years, Shidero Spring has never gone dry which makes it a good candidate for protection.
To fetch water, community members must step in the water to get close enough to the discharge. They place their containers directly under the drawing point as it fills with the help of a rusty, broken pipe that helps direct the discharge. Livestock feed very close to the spring which means their feces are washed down into the spring when it rains. Illnesses such as flu and fevers are the main problems associated with drinking contaminated water from Shidero Spring.
"We spend money treating the constant flu that comes due to drinking contaminated water. We also use firewood when boiling the water which would have been instead used to cook meals for the family," explained Enock Sande, a farmer who along with his family are only a few of the 168 people in Bukhaywa who depend on Shidero Spring for their daily water needs.
Peter Arumba, also a farmer in Bukhaywa, echoed Enock's thoughts.
"We drink the water but sometimes you find insects and small particles of sand in the water. We get cases of flu every now and then due to drinking contaminated water," he said.
The community's hygiene and sanitation situation is somewhat fair. They have dishracks, and at least every household has a pit latrine but they currently do not practice handwashing or keep soap or water nearby the latrines.
What we can do:
Spring Protection
Protecting the spring will help provide access to cleaner and safer water. Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water. With the community’s high involvement in the process, there should be a good sense of responsibility and ownership for the new clean water source.
Fetching water is a task predominantly carried out by women and young girls. Protecting the spring and offering training and support will, therefore, help empower the female members of the community by freeing up more of their time and energy to engage and invest in income-generating activities.
Training
Community members will attend hygiene and sanitation training for at least 2 days. This training will ensure participants have the knowledge they need about healthy practices and their importance. The facilitator plans to use Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST), Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring. One of the most important topics we plan to cover is the handling, storage, and treatment of water. Having a clean water source will be extremely helpful, but it is useless if water gets contaminated by the time it is consumed. We will also emphasize the importance of handwashing.
Training will result in the formation of a committee that will oversee the operations and maintenance of 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 channels. The fence will keep out destructive animals, and the drainage will keep the area’s mosquito population at a minimum.
Sanitation Platforms
On the final day of training, participants will select 5 families that should benefit from new concrete latrine floors. Training will inform the community and selected families on what they need to contribute to make this project a success. They must mobilize locally available materials, including bricks, clean sand, and gravel. The 5 families chosen for sanitation platforms 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.
Project Updates
October, 2020: Through Their Eyes: COVID-19 Chronicles with Andrew Shidero Indeche
This post is part of a new series by The Water Project meant to highlight the perspectives and experiences of the people we serve and how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting them. We invite you to read more of their stories here.
Our team recently visited Bukhaywa to conduct a COVID-19 prevention training (read more about it below!) and monitor their water point, Shidero Spring. Shortly after, we returned to check in on the community, offer a COVID-19 refresher training, and ask how the pandemic is affecting their lives.
It was during this most recent visit that Andrew Shidero Indeche shared his story of how the coronavirus is impacting his life and his community. Andrew is the spring's landowner, and he serves as a pastor in the community's Friends Church.
We found Andrew breaking stones into gravel, which he sells locally for a little income.
Field Officer Georgina Kamau and Camera Operator Allan Amadaro met Andrew outside his home to conduct the interview. Both our team and Andrew observed physical distancing and other precautions throughout the visit to ensure their health and safety. The following is Andrew's story in his own words.
What is one thing that has changed in your community since the completion of the water project?
"We no longer suffer from sore throats and colds, unlike before installation where mostly the children would complain of having sore throats from time to time."
How has having a clean water point helped you through the pandemic so far?
"We are lucky to have clean water because, without it, we would still be drinking dirty water which would make us sick. This would have put us at more risk of getting the virus since we wouldn't be as healthy as we are now."
Andrew (right) at Shidero Spring with his daughter Patience (center) and Simon
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kenya, has fetching water changed for you because of restrictions, new rules, or your concerns about the virus?
"We are concerned about the virus and as a community, we ensure that we follow all the rules and regulations like wearing masks and washing our hands frequently using soap and running water."
Andrew washes his hands with soap and clean water from the spring using the leaky tin handwashing station he installed outside his home
How has COVID-19 impacted your family?
"Now that children are at home, we have to look out for them...They always need supervision and 1 adult has to stay home."
What other challenges are you experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
"The farm produce has reduced because now that everyone is at home, the number of feeding mouths has gone up."
Andrew with his daughters outside their home
What hygiene and sanitation steps have you and your community taken to stop the spread of the virus?
"We ensure that we wear masks whenever we leave the house and maintain social distance. I always wash my hands and take a shower when I get back home."
Like most governments around the world, the Kenyan government continues to set and adjust restrictions both nationally and regionally to help control the spread of the virus.
What restriction were you most excited to see lifted already?
"The curfew time was pushed ahead by 2 hours which has helped the business people who depend on evening hours to make money. Social gatherings were opened and now I can continue to serve God."
Pastor Andrew with his mask on.
What restriction are you still looking forward to being lifted?
"We just hope that Corona will end but for now we have to continue educating ourselves on how to live with it."
When asked where he receives information about COVID-19, Andrew listed the radio, television, and our team's sensitization training.
What has been the most valuable part of the COVID-19 sensitization training you received from our team?
"We were thankful that you taught us how to sew masks because my wife has sown masks for each of us which has saved me some little money."
May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Bukhaywa Community, Shidero 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. 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 Bukhaywa, Kenya.
We trained more than 14 people on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19. Before there were any reported cases in the area, we worked with trusted community leaders and the Water User Committee to gather community members for the training. 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.
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.
March, 2020: Bukhaywa Community, Shidero Spring Project Complete!
Bukhaywa Community now has access to clean water! Shidero Spring has been transformed into a flowing source of water thanks to your donation. We protected the spring, constructed 5 sanitation platforms for different households in the community, and we trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices.
"It is so beautiful, I never expected it to look like that! We are very grateful to God for remembering us," said Walter Indeche, a young farmer in the community upon seeing the completed spring for the first time.
A woman with her baby feel the spring water for the first time after completion
Spring Protection
Community members provided all locally available construction materials, including bricks, wheelbarrows of clean sand, stones, and fencing poles. Accommodations and meals were provided for the artisan, too.
The Process
Women and men lent their strength to the artisan to help him with manual labor. The spring area was excavated to create space for setting the foundation of thick plastic tarp, 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.
Artisan sets the discharge pipe into the headwall while another works on the stairs
As the wing walls and headwall were curing, the stairs were set and ceramic tiles were fixed directly below the discharge pipe. This protects 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.
Working on stone pitching for the rub walls
The source area was filled up with clean stones and sand and covered with a thick plastic tarp to prevent potential sources of contamination. Then soil was layered on top of the tarp so that community members could transplant grass to prevent erosion. Finally, the collection area was fenced in. It took about 2 weeks of patience for the concrete to dry.
Kids celebrate the new spring
As soon as it was ready, people got the okay from our field officers to begin fetching clean water. We met them there to celebrate this momentous occasion. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day flowing in all directions.
A girl enjoying the spring water
Sanitation Platforms
All 5 sanitation platforms have been installed. These 5 families are happy about this milestone of having a private latrine of their own and are optimistic that people will no longer leave waste outdoors. We are continuing to encourage families to finish building walls and roofs over their new latrine floors.
Owner of a new sanitation platform
New Knowledge
Community member, local pastor, and spring landowner Mr. Andrew Shidero helped organize the training in coordination with our team. Together we found the community’s preferred date for training while considering other events in the community calendar such as the agricultural season and expected gatherings.
On the day of the training, the sky was sunny and the grass was wet since it had rained the previous night. We met under a tree next to the spring. 28 people attended. The group was active but some of the younger ones started to lose interest when they got tired, so we practiced a few physical moves to make sure everyone's minds and bodies were active.
Trainer Rose on safe water handling and cleaning water jugs
We covered several topics including community participation; leadership and governance; personal and environmental hygiene; water handling and treatment; operation and maintenance of the spring and sanitation platforms; dental hygiene; the 10 steps of handwashing, and how to make and use a tippy tap and leaky tin. During the leadership and governance session, we held an election for the leaders of the newly formed water user committee. The election was impressive and surprising when we saw one of the youngest chairs ever elected to the position - a young man who had just completed his high school. He proved to fit the shoe and vowed take up the task with commitment.
A woman demonstrates toothbrushing next to Trainer Georgina
We also brainstormed income-generating activities that can be used to start both a community savings account for any future minor repairs to the spring, as well as a cooperative lending group to enable members to develop their own small businesses.
A man demonstrates the 10 steps of handwashing next to Trainer Georgina
When an issue arises concerning the water project, the water user committee is equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact our team of field officers to assist them. In addition, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our ongoing monitoring and maintenance program.
A boy enjoying a fresh drink from the spring
"Hygiene and sanitation will definitely improve now that water is readily available. You will see a big change when you come to visit us next time!" said an excited Walter Indeche, a young man and carpenter in the community.
Thank you for making all of this possible!
February, 2020: Bukhaywa Community, Shidero Spring Project Underway!
Dirty water from Shidero Spring is making people in Bukhaywa sick. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install 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!
Project Videos
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!
Giving Update: Bukhaywa Community, Shidero Spring
February, 2021
A year ago, your generous donation helped Bukhaywa Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Gloria. Thank you!
Keeping The Water Promise
There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Bukhaywa Community 2.
This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Bukhaywa 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!
"Before the project, the spring was so bad that children below the age of ten were not allowed to go to the spring because it was risky for them."
"Now, it is so easy because the water comes through a discharge pipe where you just put the container down below the pipe and get water."
"Accessibility to the spring has been made easy because there are staircases which make us access water easily."
"This has really impacted my life positively because, before it was protected, there were more fights with other individuals, especially when the water became dirty. Currently, there no issues and this has brought me much peace."
"My goal was to help my mum plant many crops which we can sell and use the money to pay my school fees. This came to pass because we have enough clean water that we use even to irrigate the crops, thus we have vegetables in all seasons."
Gloria gives a thumbs up at the spring with Margret Shidero.
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 Bukhaywa 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 Bukhaywa 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.
Rehabilitation Project
