Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 210 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Feb 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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Unprotected Otota Spring is the primary water source for the 210 community members who live in Eshiambale, but the spring is difficult to access, especially during the rainy season, and its water is contaminated.

"Accessing the water point is difficult for me at this age," said 58-year-old businessman Jacob Ambetsa, shown below at the spring. "Most of the time, I have been depending on my children to do it for me after school since I don't have money to hire someone. This is also not safe for them because sometimes they arrive from school very late in the evening, forcing us to stay without water 'til the next day in the morning."

"The water source used by [the] community members is located on a gradual slope in the middle of a depression, and [it] also [is] surrounded by sugarcane plantations, making it difficult to access," said our field officer, Joyce Naliaka.

Due to the water point being far away, people waste a lot of time going there. Once they arrive, they waste even more time waiting in long lines for their turn to draw water because collecting it is a slow, tedious process. Individuals wade into the large pool of water created by the spring overflow and lay their containers down to try and collect the stream of water. Then once their containers are full and heavy, they must climb back up the embankment to start their journey home.

According to community members, most of them have suffered from waterborne diseases as a result of drinking unsafe water, forcing them to use the little income they have to seek treatment.

"I usually go to fetch water in the evening after school. I am usually exhausted, and queueing at the water point makes it worse. Most of the time, I find the water dirty as many people have drawn from it, which also affects our health as a family. Going to fetch that late is always very risky, too, since the water point is surrounded by sugarcane plantations," said 11-year-old Saumu N., shown above at the spring.

"The community is faced with various challenges regarding water. If only they could find a lasting solution, then [I] am crystal sure that most of them will have their lives changed for good," concluded Joyce.

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 to approve small groups to attend training. 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


February, 2024: Eshiambale Community Spring Protection Complete!

Eshiambale 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 feel so happy because I have been struggling to fetch water since I came to this village. The fear of encountering dangerous animals while fetching water had really taken the better part of me. But right now, I'm confident that before anything catches up with me, I would have seen it from a distance and taken precautions since the whole place has been cleared and the water is also safe from contamination," said 37-year-old farmer Mercyline Amalanda.

Mercyline at the protected spring.

She continued, "I'm a small-scale farmer whereby I have joined hands with some kids from my neighborhood who were given to me willingly by their parents. We have put up small vegetable gardens [in] which we do irrigation by using water from the spring. Since fetching water has now become easier, I'm hopeful that we are going to have drastic improvement to enable these kids [to] continue with their education and achieve their goals and also to help me realize some of my dreams and goals through this project."

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

"Firstly, being in the seventh grade, I firmly believe that this water point will positively improve my grades due to the amount of time that has been put at my disposal. This is because I won't be forced to fetch water every morning and evening as was the routine before because the water point is now accessible to my parents. Secondly, my social life will greatly improve since I would have enough time to engage with my friends and make new friendships, unlike before," said 15-year-old student Willigister M.

Willigister at the protected spring.

"From today onwards, I know very well that my life is safe and free from diseases and no more hospital visitations," he concluded.

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.

Community members help collect building materials.

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.

Beginning brickwork.

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.

Setting the discharge pipe.

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.

Plastering the walls.

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.

Backfilling the reservoir box.

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.

Community members transplant grass.

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.

Community celebration.

"The dedication of the water point was, in fact, one to put in the archives. The occasion was marked by joyous songs and dances, which were made even better by the turnout, which, though [it] was anticipated but not to the extent [that] we witnessed. The community was amazing and was full of praise for the water point," reported Field Officer Joyce.

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 Joyce, Adelaide, Elvine, Mercy, and Joy deployed to the site to lead the event. Thirty-five people attended the training, including 23 women and 12 men. We held the training at a community member's homestead.

Learning to make soap.

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.

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 the ten handwashing steps where the community members were enthusiastic and engaged," said Joyce.

Javan.

"The training was valuable to me mainly from the soapmaking aspect. I found it extremely easy to make and that the knowledge could be applied as an income-generating venture. Hence, I thought, why not? So I made a decision that I would try it just as a side hustle to add to my income avenues," said 56-year-old village elder Javan Mukwambo.

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 they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. 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!




December, 2023: Eshiambale Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Eshiambale 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


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!


Contributors

Project Sponsor - Erick's Hope