Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 140 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Jan 2025

Functionality Status:  Functional

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Nelly Chebet, Report Writer

The 140 people that call Shivikhwa Community home face a water crisis every single day. The spring they rely on for their daily water needs is not functioning correctly and needs immediate attention. Without intervention, people will continue drinking contaminated water that costs them their health and resources.

"The water is not safe for drinking, which has impacted my health negatively. All water-related ailments have been part of my life for so many years. This is because the spring is the only water source even though it [is] not safe for human consumption," said 39-year-old plumber Larry Mulombi, shown below collecting water from the spring.

The spring has many challenges, even though partial protection was attempted years ago. The spring box is flooded, and the collection pipe is too low. For people to collect water, they must stand in the stagnant water up to their ankles and lower their containers into the stagnant water to get underneath the collection pipe. Even if the spring was producing safe water, which it does not because of filtering issues, the fact that people have to submerse their containers into contaminated water that overflows into their collection containers assures them that the water quality can not be trusted.

"The water point was partially protected so many years ago and did not meet the standards. The pipe was lowered down, which [makes it] so difficult for the water users to fetch water. During rainy seasons the pipe is covered with water because the spring is high yielding which leads to contamination. When the users are fetching water, they have to step in water which is very risky because it can cause water-related diseases, especially to young children," said our field officer Nelly Chebet.

"Protection of this water would be a great achievement [for the] people of this community. Most of them said [since] the spring is the only source of water, they believe it is safe, but in reality, the water source is unhygienic and not safe for human consumption because of water runoff. Protection of this water point will help the water users to access safe, clean water," continued Nelly.

It is understandable that for survival, people have convinced themselves that the only water they have available is worth the risk to consume since, sadly, they have no other alternative, even though the side effects they regularly experience tell a very different story.

"During rainy seasons, it is very difficult for me to fetch water and to carry [it] because the area is very slippery. I remember a time when I almost lost my hand because I fell down and the jerricans fell on my hands which was so terrible to me. My parents took me to [the] hospital to seek medication which was so expensive. However, I also missed school for almost three weeks, which resulted [in] poor academic performance because I missed classes," said 12-year-old Deborah M., shown below.

The proper protection of this spring will enable community members to collect safe water without the risk of injuring themselves or suffering from water-related illnesses that steal their resources. Larry will hopefully be able to experience what it means to have better health, and Deborah will be able to focus on learning and dreaming about 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


January, 2025: Shivikhwa Community Spring Protection Complete!

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

"I hope to see less people getting sick from consuming this water. I hope we will spend more time with our families, friends or relatives. We don't have to spend much time here at the waterpoint anymore. For the children, I hope they spend more time in school studying in order to achieve their dreams," said 42-year-old Gaudenzia Ihachi, a farmer and secretary of the water user committee.

Gaudenzia Ihachi.

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

"There will be no waking up very early to come here. At least now, the water flows clean throughout the day; it is not dirtied easily, so we can fetch water any time of the day. I will have [a] good [amount of] time to do my school work and have some time to do revisions to do better in my school work," said 11-year-old Kadil.

Kadil collecting clean 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Shivikhwa 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, facilitators Betty and Stella deployed to the site to lead the event. 13 people attended the training, including 8 women and 5 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.

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.

"Soap making turned out to be our most interesting topic. This is because the participants of the training had not seen or known how to make soap, and some of them wanted to take it up as an income-generating activity. They took notes, asked questions, and almost all of them offered to assist in the process," shared Field Officer Betty Muhungo.

Neddy Mukonyole.

"This training has opened my eyes to a number of practices we have been doing wrong. Moving forward, I hope to uphold some if not all of [the] better practices we have been taught today," said 50-year-old Neddy Mukonyole.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




November, 2024: Shivikhwa Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Shivikhwa 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

4 individual donor(s)