April, 2024: Ebulechia Community Spring Protection Complete!
Ebulechia 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.
Farmer Diana Makokha had much to say about their new spring! "Accessing clean water has been made easier for us. We will be able to enjoy perfect health because of using clean water. When we have good health as a family, we will be able to focus on other activities like farming. Children will be able to focus more on their hobbies."
Diana enjoying clean water!
"With this waterpoint, I will be able to plant vegetables throughout the year. During the dry spell, I will be able to water my vegetables. This will ensure that I supply vegetables in the market throughout the year. This will earn me a good income. I will stop depending on my husband [for] everything. I will be able to help him out with bills," Diana continued.
Diana was excited not only for the possibilities this newly protected spring brought to her life but also for future generations. "This [water]point has been made in such a way to last longer. It helps improve the health of our children. If children live a healthy life, they are able to live for long. This will reduce the mortality rate among children. The grandchildren to come will also be able to enjoy clean and safe water."
Children were just as excited as adults about the new water point.
9-year-old Brian shared, "Fetching water has now been easier for us. [I] am no longer scared of going to fetch water. The water point looks beautiful with the stairs, unlike before. The water at the spring has increased compared to before the construction of this spring. This will enable me to spend [less] hours fetching water and the rest of my time playing and studying."
Brian (back right) at the spring with friends.
With clean water, Brian's health will be less at risk. "This new waterpoint will help my parents save the money they used on medication and use it [for] other things like paying off our school fees and improving their business. Before, they used to spend a lot of money buying drugs and sometimes taking us to hospitals because of falling sick more often. Now that [I] have clean water, I know we will fall sick less often."
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 gather needed supplies.
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 it. These 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 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.
Community members planting 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. They were over the moon when the spring was officially handed over to them! The joy could be seen on their faces and was expressed through the songs they sang. There were two volunteers who promised to take care of the spring and clean it daily.
Spring protection is complete!
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 Adelaide Nasimiyu, Joyce Naliaka, Mercy Wamalwa, and Faith Muthama deployed to the site to lead the event. 20 people attended the training, including 15 women and five men. Attendance was lower than expected due to a community funeral, but that didn't stop this group from learning.
Dental hygiene lesson.
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.
Soapmaking lesson.
"Today, I learned that some of the common illnesses [are] caused by us when handling food. Food is very important, and it shouldn't be handled carelessly. Food can cause poisoning to all the members of the family if not properly handled. It was interesting to learn that leftover food that is not properly cooked, it's better to dispose [of] it than eat it. Food should be prepared in a clean environment and ensure that your hands are clean before handling food," shared 50-year-old farmer Farida Popai.
Farida is excited about their newly protected spring.
"This training has made me realize we do not take hygiene practices seriously, like handwashing. We wash our hands when we are about to have our meal. The rest of [time], we assume our hands are clean. We snack even without washing our hands. We get sick, then blame it on witchcraft, and it's our fault," she concluded.
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!
Rehabilitation Project
