Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 140 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 11/06/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Faith Muthama, Rapid Response Officer

The Shanderema Community, consisting of a population of 140 individuals, is facing a significant challenge to access clean and adequate water. This situation has resulted in waterborne diseases plaguing the community, as well as posing a threat to their safety due to the hazardous nature of the journeys they take to collect water from the spring.

"31-year-old farmer Eunice Oluvendi (shown below) shared how the water crisis affects her. "One day, I was coming to fetch [water] at the spring, [and] as l was going back home, l slipped and fell on a slippery road. Since then, l have been having a back problem. In addition to that, waterborne diseases have been rampant among the spring users as a result of using this water in its contaminated state."

The scarcity of safe water in the Shanderema Community significantly impacts the residents' overall well-being. In addition to the adverse health effects, the water crisis has resulted in children missing out on their education. This is due to the long waiting times for water or the prevalence of waterborne illnesses that affect their attendance and concentration in school. Kelly Ann Naylor, Global Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at UNICEF, said it best.

"If education is the key to helping children escape poverty, access to water and sanitation is key to helping children safely maximize their education. To neglect this is to be careless with the well being and health of children."

"The boy, when he comes to fetch water for the mother who has [a] back problem, gets [in] a line of people who are also waiting to fetch water. This makes him wait a long time in the morning before going to school and makes him late. In the evening, as he comes from school, he gets [in another] long line which makes him late at home. It delays cooking and makes him sleep late," said field officer Faith Muthama of 11-year-old Fadhil S., shown below.

Protecting the spring will alleviate concerns about injury or illness from collecting water. It will provide safe drinking water for Eunice's children and enable Fadhil to pursue education, ultimately improving his life and community.

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


September, 2024: Shanderema Community Spring Protection Complete!

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

Community members celebrate.

"Access to water will help my children get good grades in school because it will be early accessible, and a lot of their time, they will use it to read and also get to school early enough as required. To me, it will help me irrigate my vegetables and find food within my reach," said 49-year-old community administrator Judith Maloba.

Judith collects water from the protected spring.

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

"This new water point will help my parents get water on time at home so that they can cook for our family early enough in the morning and also in the evening. Also, my parents will use the water to irrigate their vegetables," said Emmanuel, 13.

Emmanuel.

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.

Adding a layer of clay to the spring box.

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.

Backfilling the spring box with stones after plastering the walls and setting the discharge pipe.

We then cemented and plastered the spring 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.

Community members planting grass to prevent erosion.

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.

Clean water flowing!

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 Shanderema Community.

Celebrating!

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 Mercy Wamalwa, Elvine Atsieno, Faith Muthama, Joan Tirop, and Mercy Mulinge deployed to the site to lead the event. 25 people attended the training, including 17 women and 8 men.

Learning about proper spring maintenance.

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.

Dental hygiene session.

"The participants were fully attentive and receptive to learning from us, and it could be seen by their body language. They asked questions, and in some questions, they brought up answers by themselves. It was an interactive training session," said Field Officer Faith Muthama.

Moses at the spring.

"The most interesting topic was personal hygiene because it has taught us and opened our eyes to see our weaknesses that we should work on. It has impacted my community by learning new ideas on how to promote hygiene in our homes and our individual lives," said 60-year-old farmer Moses Mbiri.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




July, 2024: Shanderema Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Shanderema 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

Project Sponsor - Odysseys Unlimited