Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 210 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



The Furave Community, with a population of 210, faces difficulty accessing an adequate water supply to meet their daily needs. Their primary source is a small, unprotected spring in a swampy area that becomes especially hazardous and slippery during the rainy season. As a result, children cannot be sent alone for fear of injuries.

"The difficult part of getting water from this water point is access. I need to have someone who can help me get water, and this is so hectic. The moment there is no one to help fetch water, it means I, with my grandmother, will not have water," shared 11-year-old Rosaline N., shown below.

55-year-old Farmer Phillip Amondo (shown below) shared how the water crisis has affected him. "Most of the time, I spent my time [on] the farm because this is my main source of income. I also have cattle and get water for them very early in the morning. This implies that I get water first before I embark on my farm. When at the water point and find the water dirty [I] am forced to wait, and this delays my farm work. I cannot send even my grandchildren because the environment is swampy and not safe."

Accessibility isn't the only challenge.

Because this spring is unprotected, it is open to contaminants. There are reports of frequent water-related illnesses.

"The most reported health consequences are typhoid and stomach pains. This causes many children to be absent from school and calls for medication," says field officer Jemmimah Khasoha.

"When one parent is unhealthy, the children can not be taken [care of] well. The children fail to go to school, [making] their performance in school poor. The parents also spend money on medication which could be used for other developmental works," she continued.

The protection of the spring will enable people like Rosaline to have unfettered access to water. She will no longer have to go without water because she can access the spring safely. Phillip won't waste time waiting to fetch water to improve his farm. The whole community will be able to collect water without fear, children will have better attendance in school, and family resources can be prioritized for the future.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Chlorine Dispensers

Installing chlorine dispensers is an important piece of our spring protection projects. Protecting a spring provides community members with an improved water source, but it doesn’t prevent contamination once the water is collected and stored. For example, if the water is clean and the container is dirty, the water will become contaminated.

We ensure that each chlorine dispenser is filled with diluted chlorine on a consistent schedule so that people can add pre-measured drops to each container of water they collect. That way, community members can feel even more confident in the quality of their water.

Project Updates


September, 2024: Furave Community Spring Protection Complete!

Your contribution has made access to clean water for the Furave Community possible!

We transformed their spring into a flowing source of naturally filtered water. A chlorine dispenser was installed to provide added protection, and we trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for community members to thrive!

A young community member celebrating clean water access!

50-year-old Sarah Kenyatta shared the impact of the new waterpoint. "Access to water will open an opportunity for me to start an income-generating activity like poultry farming and [the] growing of kale. My hopes and future dreams [are] to be able to supply my community with [a] variety of kale and chicks for sale and earn a living from it."

Sarah Kenyatta (left) drinking safe water!

"I will be able to concentrate on my desire to improve my farming skills. I like farming, and with [a] new water source, which is perfectly constructed and discharges water at high speed, [I] am assured of clean, safe water. [This] gives me the confidence that I will do other chores and go to the spring and come home with safe, clean water," she continued.

Children were just as excited as adults about clean water access!

Daniel carries clean water collected from the newly protected spring!

"Reliable water will enable me to spend more time at school studying, with an aim of improving my academic performance. With this fact, I will have enough time to do my extra schoolwork given by my teacher after the normal lessons without straining," shared Daniel, 8.

Preparing for Spring Protection

Community members worked together to source all locally available construction materials for the spring. These included bricks, sand, stones, and fencing poles. 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 delivered the remaining construction materials, including cement, plastic tarps, and hardware. Then, our construction artisan and field officers deployed to the spring to begin work.

Protecting the Protecting the Spring: A Step-by-Step Process

First, we excavated the spring area. This includes digging a drainage channel below the spring and several runoff diversion channels above and around the spring to help divert surface contaminants away.

Excavating the spring.

To ensure community members could still access water throughout the construction process, we also dug temporary channels around the construction site to allow water to continue to flow. Excavation created space for setting the spring's foundation.

Setting the foundation.

After establishing the base, made of thick plastic, wire, concrete and waterproof cement, we started brickwork to build the spring walls and stairs.

Starting to build the walls.

Once the walls were tall enough, we began one of the most crucial steps: setting the discharge pipe. The discharge pipe needs to be positioned low enough so the water level never rises above the spring's eye yet high enough to allow room for the average collection container (20 liters) to sit beneath the pipe without making contact to prevent cross-contamination.

If we place the pipe too high, back pressure could force water to emerge elsewhere. Too low, and community members would not be able to access the water easily.

Setting the discharge pipe.

In coordination with the walls and stairs, we cemented stones on both sides of the spring's drainage channel. These stones discourage people and animals from standing in that area, which could cause soil erosion and a clogged drainage area.

Cementing stones to the sides of the spring to prevent spring damage.

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

Plastering the walls to reinforce them.

As the walls cured, we finished the stairs and installed tiles beneath the discharge pipe. The tiles protect the concrete from the falling water's erosive force.

Placing tiles beneath the collection pipes to prevent erosion.

We redirected the temporary diversion channels back into the reservoir box and closed all other exits to force water through only the discharge pipe. We filled the reservoir area with the large, clean stones arranging them in layers like a well-fitting puzzle. We covered the rocks with thick plastic and piled enough dirt on top to compensate for future settling.

Backfilling the reservoir.

Community members transplanted grass to help prevent erosion, and the collection area was fenced. The fence prevents people or animals from walking in the area above the spring, as compaction of this area can potentially compromise water quality.

Community members plant grass behind the spring to prevent erosion.

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

The spring is complete!

We officially gave ownership of the waterpoint to the Furave Community. Happiness and thanksgiving flowed in all directions!

Training on Health, Hygiene, and More

Together with the community, we found their preferred date for training. When the day arrived, facilitator
Wilson Kipchoge deployed to the site to lead the event. Sixteen people attended the training, including ten women and six men.

A lesson in soapmaking.

We discussed personal, oral, and environmental hygiene, emphasizing proper water handling, soap-making, and the ten steps of handwashing. We also highlighted the importance of primary health care and covered the operation and maintenance of the water point, as well as leadership and governance. By the end of the training, each participant had a clear understanding of their role in maintaining clean water and promoting good health within their community.

Facilitator Wilson Kipchoge teaches oral hygiene.

We held an election for the newly formed water user committee who will oversee the maintenance of the spring. We brainstormed income-generating activities and encouraged them to start a group savings account for future minor repairs to the spring.

The diligence of the Furave Community was apparent during the training. "Participants showed their commitment and eagerness for the hygiene training by coming in large numbers, ready to learn. This was evident during the training session, whereby they raised pertinent issues relating to general hygiene, like best practices for preventing diseases. As a response to their questions, they were advised to uphold high standards of hygiene by adhering to the basic principles such as proper handwashing with soap and maintaining personal and environmental hygiene," shared Wilson.

Truphosa was an eager participant in the training.

67-year-old Truphosa Munjalu, a farmer, shared her experience, "This training has challenged my thoughts on what I have been doing, thinking that [I] am doing the best, but more needs to be done. Generally, people in this community have been carrying out a portion of hygiene practices [that] I have learned during the training, like improper use of latrines, which contribute to cases of open defecation as well as lack of compost pits for waste disposal."

Learning proper handwashing techniques.

She continued, "The most interesting topic for us was handwashing with soap. We had [the] privilege to learn how to make a very simple but important tippy tap, using locally available materials and little technology. I liked it and will endeavor to make one for my family."

Thank you for making all of this possible!




July, 2024: Furave Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in the Furave 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

ibrahim's Campaign for Water
23 individual donor(s)