August, 2024: Eshisari Community Spring Protection Complete!

Eshisari 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.

"This new waterpoint will make a difference in their lives (speaking of her children). They will have time to play with their fellow children which helps in the brain development of the child. Also, l believe their (academic) performance will change because they will have ample time to study due to easy accessibility of water," said Caroline Matangwe, a 40-year-old farmer and secretary of the water user committee.

Caroline.

"The protected spring will help the community get clean, safe, and reliable water, which will curb waterborne disease problems. Also, it will help my fellow community members get water at their homes on time," she continued.

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

When asked if reliable water would impact his life, 14-year-old Clinton had much to say! "Yes, it will because l will be getting enough time to study, which will make my performance improve. Also, l will be able to play around with my fellow children after collecting water from the protected spring because of easy accessibility," he shared.

Clinton.

"This new waterpoint will help my parents get water on time at home so that we can prepare breakfast on time before school. It will help my parents get income from it by irrigating their vegetables that they sell to the community. This new waterpoint will also help my teachers have ample time to teach me in school because l will be getting to school on time," he continued.

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.

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.

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.

Setting the tiles.

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.

Layer of rocks.

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.

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.

Field Officer Faith Muthama shared the details about the celebration.

She said, "The community members were jovial and over the moon due to the spring being protected. They were positive and grateful for helping them curb the problem of waterborne diseases and also for making easy access to the waterpoint. The village elder was appreciative for remembering his community in the spring protection initiative we did. It was a joyous moment and it could be seen by their facial expressions. We were received with a warm welcome from the community members. The community members gave thanks to [us] and the donors for their prayers were answered as a community."

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.

"l feel hopeful [for] this group because despite the poverty level, they were able to try and collect locally available materials. Having chosen a strong water user committee, they will be able to oversee and make sure they protect the spring durability so that it can serve the community and generations to come," continued Faith.

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, field officers Joyce Naliaka, Mercy Wamalwa, Mercy Mulinge, David Mulinge, Joan Tirop, Faith Muthama, and Isaac Mwambela deployed to the site to lead the event. 25 people attended the training, including 22 women and 3 men.

Training on soapmaking.

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 participants were very excited to learn new things, [and] they were very attentive and lively. They wanted to learn more so that they can better themselves and also teach others who were not there at the training," Faith shared.

Moreen at the spring.

35-year-old Moreen Olunga shared what impacted her the most in the training session: "The most interesting topics in the hygiene training were personal hygiene and environmental hygiene. I have learned we need to ensure we have a compost pit within the compound where we can burn and also make the compound clean. On personal hygiene, I have learned how to brush my teeth, something I did not know."

Dental hygiene lesson.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

July, 2024: Eshisari Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Eshisari 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!