Emukhalari Community 2

August, 2024: Emukhalari Community Spring Protection Complete!

Emukhalari 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 waterpoint will help my children to live a healthy life. They will spend most of their days in school, unlike before, where they used to spend most of their days at home because of sickness. By spending most of the days in school, I hope their dreams will be achieved. They will be able to study hard and become the people they want to be in [the] future. [I] am at peace that their future is bright," said farmer Eglay Nafula, 30.

Eglay.

When asked how the newly protected spring would impact her livelihood, Eglay had many plans to share! "As a farmer, [I] am planning to make use of my farm plot in planting vegetables and rearing fish. My farm is located below the spring; this will [make it] easier for me to grow and water the vegetables throughout the year. [I] am planning to grow the indigenous vegetables because that's what people prefer nowadays in the market. This will help us as a family to grow our income. This will help us pay school fees for our children with so much ease. For fish farming, the county government is providing fish fingerlings (juvenile fish) to willing farmers. [I] am planning to make use of this opportunity," continued Eglay.

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

"Now [that] we have a reliable source of water, I can fetch my water any time of the day. This will make me plan my time to study. I will be [able] to improve my grades at school. I have been longing to be position one in my class. I believe with the effort and hard work [I] am going to put in my studies, I will be [able] to achieve this dream of mine," shared ten-year-old Blessing.

Blessing at the spring.

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 gathered materials.

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, which was 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.

Setting the discharge pipe.

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.

Stone pitching.

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.

Plastering.

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.

Fencing the spring in.

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. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

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, training facilitators Joyce Naliaka, Mercy Wamalwa, Faith Muthama, and Joy Ongeri deployed to the site to lead the event. Eighteen people attended the training, including thirteen women and five men.

Training.

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.

One topic the community members found engaging was how often blankets should be washed. Many believed that blankets should only be washed once a year to ensure they last a long time, but after the training session, they realized that bedding should be washed more often to benefit their families' health.

Training.

Fifty-year-old Mohammed Akhungu shared how the training impacted him and his community.

"The most interesting topic today was personal hygiene. Many diseases and conditions can be prevented or controlled through appropriate personal hygiene and regularly washing the body and hair with soap and water. Good body washing practices can prevent the spread of hygiene-related diseases. Diseases like typhoid, diarrhea, and stomachache can easily [be] prevented through proper hygiene. I learned that for proper hygiene, soap must be available in all these practices."

Mohammed at the spring.

Mohammed continued, "These topics that were trained on relate to their daily routines. If they take what they have learned seriously, they will be able to live a healthy and fruitful life. They will be able to be more productive in their community and also raise their children in a healthy manner. This assures us of having a healthy generation in the future."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

July, 2024: Emukhalari Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in the Emukhalari 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!