Brian Has Time to Study and Play!

October, 2024

A year ago, your generous donation helped the Elukuto Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Brian. Thank you!

Your gift unlocked Brian's potential for a brighter future last year. Since then, he and the Elukuto Community of 357 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Collecting water here is easier and faster. The spring has been well constructed, and there is easy accessibility of water. This water is clean, and safe for human consumption and for domestic use," said Brian.

Before the Spring Protection

Like many in Kenya, 13-year-old Brian is responsible for collecting water to meet his daily needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole his time and negatively affected him.

The spring before protection.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Brian, in particular, it lessened his opportunity to stay healthy and have time to study.

"The distance of collecting water was really far, whereby I could spend much time looking for [a] water source that has safe and clean water, which was a waste of good time, which I could have converted to my studies. Secondly, I was experiencing waterborne diseases frequently. Thirdly, when it rained, you could fall so easily and even break the water containers," said Brian.

Since the Spring Protection

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Brian’s future. By supporting the spring protection, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

The protected spring.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"Since the project was completed, my health has really changed; I no longer get sick because the water is clean and safe. Clean and safe water brings happiness and joy to me. [I] am in [a] position of fetching water anytime I want, without worrying of my safety," said Brian.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Brian and the rest of his community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Brian a crucial tool for achieving his dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, his enthusiasm and courage will help him fulfill his dreams.

"Academically, my performance has improved because I have enough time to study and do my revisions. It has enabled me [to] do my assignments on time without any interference. Now that fetching water doesn't take long, I have time to study and do my school assignments. Also, I have time [to] go and play with my friends," shared Brian.

Brian stacking bricks made possible because of water.


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 Elukuto 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 Elukuto 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.

Project Status



Project Type: Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 357 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Aug 2023

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 10/04/2024

Project Features


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The community of Elukuto is a rural farming village with a large population of 357 people who live without access to a reliable, safe water source. Currently, community members rely on the unprotected Okwara Spring as their primary water source, but it presents several issues, and collecting water is a long, tiring process.

Some people walk an hour to get to the spring and back, excluding their wait and collection times, and once they arrive, they must wait in long queues to collect water. Community members have done their best to speed up the collection time by inserting a plastic discharge pipe to direct the spring's flow, but it does not capture all of the water, which is evident with the water that oozes from around it. The pipe easily dislodges or breaks when bumped, leaving people without a central collection point until they can replace it.

"I always get [behind] people at the spring [and] have to wait for them to fetch water before I fetch. I have been punished for delaying at the spring," said 17-year-old Bonventure M., shown carrying water below.

But not only is it time-consuming to collect water here, it is also risky. The environment around the spring is dangerous to navigate because the collection area is littered with sharp stones that are wet and muddy, which could easily cause harm.

The water people are consuming is not protected from contamination, and community members recalled times in the past when illnesses ran rampant because of drinking the water.

"The community is faced with water challenges in that they fetch water which is not protected, which is not safe, [and] which gets dirtier after it has rained," said field officer Protus Ekesa.

"I feel scared drinking this water because I have suffered from stomachaches severely. For example, in December last year, 2021," said 35-year-old farmer Joan Nasenya. Joan can be seen below, receiving help to hoist her heavy water container onto her head for her trip home after collecting water from the waterpoint.

Community members need their spring to be protected so they can quickly collect safe water and stop wasting their valuable time that would be better used to improve their daily lives.

What We Can Do:

Spring Protection

Protecting the spring will help provide access to cleaner and safer water and reduce the time people have to spend to fetch it. 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 and their education.

Training on Health, Hygiene, COVID-19, and More

To hold training, we work closely with both community leaders and the local government. We ask community leaders to invite a select yet representative group of people to attend training who will then act as ambassadors to the rest of the community to share what they learn.

The training will focus on improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits in this community. We will also have a dedicated session on COVID-19 symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention best practices.

With the community's input, we will identify key leverage points where they can alter their practices at the personal, household, and community levels to affect change. This training will help to ensure participants have the knowledge they need about healthy practices and their importance to make the most of their water point as soon as water is flowing.

Our team of facilitators will use a variety of methods to train community members. Some of these methods include participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation, asset-based community development, group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring.

One of the most important issues 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 and the community strongly believe that all of these components will work together to improve living standards here, which will help to unlock the potential for these community members to live better, healthier lives.

We will then conduct a small series of follow-up trainings before transitioning to our regularly scheduled support visits throughout the year.

Training will result in the formation of a water user committee, elected by their peers, that will oversee the operations and maintenance of the spring. The committee 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 unwanted waste, and the drainage will keep the area's mosquito population at a minimum.

Project Updates


August, 2023: Elukuto Community Spring Protection Complete!

Elukuto Community now has access to clean water! Thanks to your donation, we transformed their spring into a flowing source of naturally filtered water. We also installed a chlorine dispenser to provide added protection and trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for community members to live better, healthier lives.

"I remember sometime back, one of our neighbor's young children severely slipped and injured herself on the staircase. [It] was so bad the child had to be hospitalized for months, and the rest of us mothers became scared, including me. I banned my grandchild from coming to the spring, but now look how the little ones can easily climb up and down the staircase. Now she can help me with the early morning and evenings when she's back from school," said 47-year-old farmer Salome Nanzala.

Salome collecting water.

"This water point has come with more profit. Being the wife of a brickmaker, we do make our bricks right here from home. My children, grandchildren, and I have the responsibility of going to get water. Doing rounds to the spring is much easier. In brick making [the] availability of water means more bricks [and] that means more profit for the family," Salome said.

Children were just as excited as adults about the new water point.

"During the heavy rainy season, there was an opening at the top of the spring where rainwater mixed with the spring water making the water dirty. I had to boil drinking water. I will no longer have to boil water now. And [since] I have been given the responsibility to look after my grandmother during the dry seasons, drinking water is not [going to be] a challenge," shared 14-year-old Emma M.

Emma with her best friend at the spring.

"Now that I can get water anytime, I can use the extra evening hours doing laundry of my uniform," concluded Emma.

Preparing for Spring Protection

Community members worked together to source and carry all locally available construction materials to the spring. These included bricks, sand, stones, and fencing poles. Some people also chiseled away at large rocks to break them into gravel. Because people have to carry most items by hand, the material-collection process can take anywhere from a few weeks to months.

When the community was ready, we sent a truck to deliver the remaining construction materials, including cement, plastic tarps, and hardware. Then, our construction artisan and field officers deployed to the spring to begin work. Individual households provided meals throughout each day to sustain the work team.

From Open Source to Protected Spring: A Step-by-Step Process

First, we cleared and excavated the spring area. Next, we dug a drainage channel below the spring and several runoff diversion channels above and around the spring. These help to divert surface contaminants away.

To ensure community members could still access water throughout the construction process, we also dug temporary channels around the construction site from the spring's eye. This allowed water to flow without disrupting community members' tasks or the construction work. Excavation created space for setting the spring's foundation, made of thick plastic, wire mesh, concrete, and waterproof cement.

After establishing the base, we started brickwork to build the headwall, wing walls, and stairs. Once the walls had grown tall enough, we began one of the most crucial steps: setting the discharge pipe. The discharge pipe needs to be positioned low enough in the headwall so the water level never rises above the spring's eye, yet high enough to allow room for the average jerrycan (a 20-liter container) to sit beneath the pipe without making contact, which prevents cross-contamination.

If we place the discharge pipe too high above the spring's eye, back pressure could force water to emerge elsewhere. Too low, and community members would not be able to access the water easily. We embedded the pipe using clay (or mortar when the clay is in short supply) and placed it at an incline to ensure water flows in the right direction.

In coordination with brickwork, we pitched stones on both sides of the spring's drainage channel. We then cemented and plastered each stone, forming the rub walls. These walls discourage people and animals from standing in that area, which could cause soil erosion and a clogged drainage area.

We then cemented and plastered both sides of the headwall and wing walls. These finishing layers reinforce the brickwork and prevent water in the reservoir from seeping through the walls. In turn, enough pressure builds in the reservoir box to push water out through the discharge pipe.

As the headwall and wing walls cured, we cemented and plastered the stairs and installed four tiles beneath the discharge pipe. The tiles protect the concrete from the falling water's erosive force while beautifying the spring and facilitating easy cleaning of the spring floor.

The final stage of construction is backfilling the reservoir box behind the discharge pipe. We cleared the collection box of any debris that may have fallen during construction. Then we redirected the temporary diversion channels back into the reservoir box, channeling water into this area for the first time. We close all other exits to force water through only the discharge pipe.

We filled the reservoir area with the large, clean stones community members had gathered, arranging them in layers like a well-fitting puzzle. We covered the rocks with thick plastic to minimize potential contamination sources, then piled enough dirt on top to compensate for future settling.

Community members transplanted grass onto the backfilled soil to help prevent erosion. The collection area was fenced to discourage any person or animal from walking on it. Compaction can lead to disturbances in the backfill layers and potentially compromise water quality.

The construction process took about two weeks of work and patience to allow the cement and plaster to finish curing. As soon as the spring was ready, people got the okay from their local field officers to fetch water.

We officially handed over the spring to mark the community's ownership of the water point. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

"The chairperson leading the [way] greatly showed his gratitude and thanks. With a word of prayer, we handed over the spring to the community," said field officer David Muthama.

The completed spring!

Training on Health, Hygiene, and More

Together with the community, we found their preferred date for training while considering other community calendar events, such as the agricultural season and social events. We requested a representative group of community members to attend training and relay the information learned to the rest of their families and friends.

When the day arrived, facilitators David, Joyce, Joy, and four interns deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 people attended the training, including 19 women and two men. We held the training near the spring.

We covered several topics, including community participation in the project; leadership and governance; personal, dental, and environmental hygiene; water handling and treatment; spring maintenance; the importance of primary health care and disease prevention; family planning; soapmaking; how to make and use handwashing stations; and the ten steps of handwashing.

Learning about proper dental hygiene.

During the leadership and governance session, we held an election for the newly formed water user committee leaders, who will oversee the maintenance of the spring. We also brainstormed income-generating activities. Community members can now start a group savings account for any future minor repairs to the spring and a cooperative lending group, enabling them to develop small businesses.

"The most memorable topic was personal hygiene. One of the interns was given an opportunity to teach the community, and she decided to have a talk with the female attendees where she challenged them to tell how they managed their monthly time. It was noted some members were not handling it properly. What made this topic memorable was the profound impact it had on breaking down a long-standing taboo and promoting gender equality within the community [particularly among] some members who are of Muslim descent by acknowledging the importance of discussing menstrual health and emphasizing that menstruation is a natural and healthy bodily process," said David.

Learning about proper hand washing.

"They shared information about the menstrual cycle, proper menstrual hygiene practices, and the importance of using clean water and sanitation facilities during menstruation. This topic was often neglected or considered taboo in the community, leading to misinformation and shame surrounding menstruation," David concluded.

"The training has brought about a sense of seriousness, and everyone has seen the project is no joke. Being the chairperson, this is going to be of positive help during my leadership. I can always refer to the training of how we were taught if I find anyone doing the opposite of what is expected. With the knowledge given, I will be able to set up structures to help me in maintaining the drainage system and maintaining [the] cleanliness of the spring," said 52-year-old brickmaker and chairperson of the water user committee Tom Okwara.

Tom Okwara at the spring.

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. When an issue arises concerning the spring, the water user committee is equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure the water point works appropriately and there is guaranteed public access in the future. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact their local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when facing functionality, seasonality, or water quality challenges. Together, all these components help us strive for enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we're working toward complete coverage. That means reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!




June, 2023: Elukuto Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in the Elukuto Community costs people time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!




Project Photos



Contributors

1 individual donor(s)