Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 210 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Oct 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Jacklyne Chelagat, Impact Communication Officer

The 210 people that call Shieywe home struggle to collect enough water from their primary source, an unprotected spring. Looking at the small, algae-filled shallow pool of water surrounded by rocks, it is easy to see that collecting water is challenging and time-consuming.

What is not as obvious is that the water people pour so much energy into collecting is not safe to drink, and each time they consume it, they risk their health.

"The water source is exposed to all kinds of contamination. The water gets so dirty, and this forces members to wait until the water settles down. [The] majority of community members fetch and consume water the way it is. The end result is always painful, as they report having had diarrhea and typhoid whenever they visited medical facilities for treatment," said our field officer Jacklyne Chelagat.

"I have been a culprit of consuming dirty water before it undergoes any treatment. This has [cost] me a lot. I have gotten sick for so many years, being unable to engage in development activities and also wasting a lot of resources to cater for medical attention," said 42-year-old farmer Isaiah Aineah, shown above carrying water.

People's health is not the only thing being stolen by this water point. Their time is also absorbed, leaving them with the difficult choice of which important tasks they will neglect. For children, that often leads to missing school time; for adults, it usually means missing out on income-generation opportunities they desperately need.

"In most cases, I have wasted a lot [of] time when sent to fetch water by my parents. I always wait for the water to settle before I fetch it," said 14-year-old Samuel N. (seen below).

As the first step in protecting this community's water source, we have installed a chlorine dispenser so community members can attempt to make the water they consume safer until we complete their spring. This, coupled with the proper spring protection, will make the water people collect and consume here safe to drink and reduce the collection time so the people of Shiewye can regain the time they need to improve their daily lives.

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


October, 2024: Shieywe Community Spring Protection Complete!

Your contribution has made access to clean water for the Shieywe 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!

"Access to reliable, clean, and safe water will help me concentrate on other development activities at home such as vegetable farming and poultry keeping, which will be beneficial to me and my family both on food production and income generating activity," said Miriam Andanje, 30.

Miriam Andanje.

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

"Having reliable water in place guarantees good health and energy where I will be in a better position of not missing school again due to diseases or time wasting at the waterpoint. [I] will improve my performance at school and become a successful career woman in [the] future and help my family prosper," said 16-year-old Naomi.

Naomi collecting water.

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.

Community members collect building materials.

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.

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.

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

Brickwork.

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.

We then cemented and plastered the 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.

Setting the discharge pipe.

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.

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 spring box.

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.

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.

We officially gave ownership of the waterpoint to the Shieywe Community.

Happiness and thanksgiving flowed in all directions!

The completed spring.

Training on Health, Hygiene, and More

Together with the community, we found their preferred date for training. When the day arrived, facilitators Stella Inganji and Betty Muhongo deployed to the site to lead the event. 20 people attended the training, including 15 women and five men.

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.

Learning to make soap.

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.

Oral hygiene session.

"Dental hygiene was our most memorable topic [which] we discussed [at] length because most community members thought brushing teeth is done only when they travel or have bad breath. To them, there is no need to brush [your] teeth when you are going nowhere, which has become a norm to the entire community. After a long discussion, the facilitator had to shed more light on the importance of dental hygiene practices, and at the end of the session, the participants realized that they had been doing harm to their teeth," shared Field Officer Stella Inganji.

Alice.

"Personally, I have really learned a lot and have come to realize that most hygiene practices done at the community level need proper checking and enlightenment. This will help improve our health issues and embrace change," said Alice Isaiah, a 34-year-old farmer.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




September, 2024: Shieywe Community Spring Protection Underway!

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

 

Thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news soon! 

 




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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 - Beta Squad