Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 320 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2017

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 01/09/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the Community

Most men in Shitungu Community are involved in farming. They grow maize, vegetables, bananas, sweet potatoes and cassava among many other crops. They also keep cattle, sheep and goats. Brick-making and charcoal-burning are also other activities carried out in this community. A few people also have small retail shops from where other members of the community buy their household items.

The majority of the members of the community profess Islam. During lunchtime, they converge at the mosques for prayers.

Men are the heads of household, while women do most of the household chores. The women wake up early in the morning to prepare the children for school before starting on other duties like collecting firewood, washing clothes, sweeping, farming and fetching water from the unprotected spring.

Water Situation

It takes them about 30 minutes to get to Suleiman Spring. On some occasions, there are so many people at the spring that they spend hours at the spring fetching water before even walking back to their homes. In this community, fetching water is predominantly a woman's affair.

When it's a woman's turn to fetch water, she must first use a bowl to clear off debris floating on the surface. Once the water appears clearer, she uses a small bowl or mug to collect enough water to fill her jerrycan. She carries the full jerrycan back home on top of her head.

Drinking water is often poured into a separate covered clay pot, since it is believed to keep the water cooler.

Suleiman Spring is open to many different sources of contamination. Both human and animal activity contributes to dirtying the water; animals drink straight from the spring and local women do laundry in its water. There was feces, both human and animal, in the vicinity.

After drinking this spring water, community members complain of stomachaches, diarrhea, and confirmed cases of typhoid. Consequentially, a lot of money is spent on medical treatment.

62-year-old farmer Vincent Tsinganga was elated when he heard his community has been approved for a project. He said, "God is good that development partner has come here to ensure at least we have clean water within our reach. This is unbelievable. I have suffered for such a long time from typhoid, diarrhea and stomachache. I spent quite a lot of money on medication and this have made me poor."

Sanitation Situation

Less than half of households have their own pit latrine. Most of these are made of wooden floors and mud walls. Others are made of old sacks or dry banana leaves. Those who do not have their own latrine either share with a neighbor or relieve themselves out in the open.

There are no hand-washing stations, nor are there many good dish racks or clotheslines to dry belongings.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community members will attend hygiene and sanitation training for at least two days. This training will ensure participants are no longer ignorant about healthy practices and their importance. The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation), CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation), ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), group discussions, handouts, and demonstrations at the spring. One of the most important topics we plan to cover is open defecation and its dangers, as well as having and using a pit latrine.

Training will also result in the formation of a committee that will oversee operations and maintenance at the spring. They will enforce proper behavior around the spring and delegate tasks that will help preserve the site, such as building a fence and digging proper drainage.

Plans: Sanitation Platforms

On the final day of training, participants will select five families that should benefit from new latrines.

Training will also inform the community and selected families on what they need to contribute to make this project a success. They must mobilize locally available materials, such as bricks, clean sand, hardcore, and ballast. The five families must prepare by sinking a pit for the sanitation platforms to be placed over. All community members must work together to make sure that accommodations and food are always provided for the work teams.

Plans: Spring Protection

Fetching water is predominantly a female role, done by both women and young girls. Protecting the spring and offering training and support will therefore help empower the female members of the community by giving them more time and efforts to engage and invest in income-generating activities.

In addition, protecting the spring will ensure that the water is safe, adequate and secure. Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water.

Mr. Tsinganga is interested in constructing a fish pond after the spring is protected, using the spillover excess to fill the pond. This addition is likely to motivate other community members to venture into fish farming, which will yield a good source of income and protein for the community.

Project Updates


October, 2018: A Year Later: Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to protect Suleiman Spring for Shitungu Community in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories. Read more...




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!


A Year Later: Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring

October, 2018

The area around Suleiman Spring is clean and well-maintained, which is evidence of this water source’s importance to everyone living in Shitungu.

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

A year ago, your generous donation enabled us to protect Suleiman Spring for Shitungu Community in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow our local teams to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the water project over time. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – and we’re excited to share this one from local team member Mary Afandi with you.


Community members report that cases of waterborne diseases have decreased over the past year. This means the protected spring has contributed toward improving the quality of life for people here. The area around the spring has also been well-maintained, which is further evidence of its value to everyone.

"The state of cleanliness at the spring has improved because the community has embraced the protected spring. The members of the community now draw clean and safe water from the protected spring," Diana Immitsa told us.

Esther Waka and Diana Immitsa

"Nowadays, members of the community do not queue for water, as was the case before the spring was protected. People now have sufficient time to engage in other economic activities," she continued.

Protection of the spring is only one step along the journey toward sustainable access to clean water. The Water Project is committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by donors like you, allows us to maintain our relationships with communities by visiting up to 4 times each year to ensure that the water points are safe and reliable.

This is just one of the many ways that we monitor projects and communicate with you. Additionally, you can always check the functionality status and our project map to see how all of our water points are performing, based on our consistent monitoring data.

One project is just a drop in the bucket towards ending the global water crisis, but the ripple effects of this project are truly astounding. This spring in Shitungu Community is changing many lives.

Esther Waka

"The water from the protected spring is clean and safe," 9-year-old Esther Waka remarked. "We use the water for washing, cleaning, bathing and for drinking."

This is only possible because of the web of support and trust built between The Water Project, our local teams, the community, and you. We are excited to stay in touch with this community and support their journey with safe water.

Read more about The Water Promise and how you can help.


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Shitungu Community, Suleiman Spring – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.