Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 322 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - May 2017

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 10/09/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

In the land of gold and rock mining, shrubby Eluhobe Village is filled with inhabitants who struggle to live hand to mouth. Their busy days are characterized with making bricks, fetching water, mining gold, and traveling to distant places that are as far as Lwanda (five kilometers away) to work on farms. Others get money by carrying people from one destination to another on their motorbikes.

People's small pieces of land have been tilled so much that they get very little produce. Mr. Makutwa feels that his people are languishing in poverty due to ignorance and a lack of enough money to support their farming. "We have dirty water from Lusumu River passing near our village, if we are helped to get... water then no hunger will be experienced here. But look at our farms, well-tilled but we can't plant anything until rain comes, yet the meteorologists say on media that we shall have rains in March. How long shall we continue begging when we have the natural resource with us?" he lamented. Most families have already depleted the harvest from last season. They are now waiting for the rains in order to plant again. Most men go to the Esibuye Market Center every evening to pass time, while women run up and down to ensure their families get a meal before bedtime. This is what a normal day looks like in this village!

Water Situation

Nearby Lusumu River, there's Amadi Spring. Amadi Spring is in a thicket of shrubs, and is a pool of grimy water drawn by local people from all walks of life. For ages, families have fetched from this natural spring, subjecting themselves to many contaminants ranging from human waste to eroded soil. One after another, people come here carrying a big container with another small one to help draw this mucky water. Moldy leaves, sticks and all other kinds of filth are seen floating in the water.

"Occasionally, people defecate here because there are days we get feces inside water and from time to time, animals that come to directly drink from this point drop their dung in or around the source; therefore we just drink this water and use it for cooking because we have no choice but sincerely speaking it is very perilous. A considerable number of people have been found urinating in the water, and animals do the same. Besides, people come to bathe at the spring and they become so defensive when cautioned against it therefore we decide to keep quiet but it doesn’t mean we don’t get peeved by their actions. For a grownup to persistently shower here and continue even after being rebuked, it means they have an evil motive. No wonder we have so many cases of diarrhea in this area," Mr. Dickson Makutwa explained. Wild animals, especially snakes, have been found at the spring on several occasions meaning that they also drink this water, thus endangering people’s lives.

When the water gets dirty and brown with soil, people have to wait for it to settle before drawing, and this has led to family fights. Men fall out with their wives, accusing them of taking too long to get water. Those who frequently nitpick take it as an opportunity to carp at their wives and reproach them for failing to rush from the river and prepare food in time. Some even allege that their wives go to see other men on their way to the spring.

Sanitation Situation

Most latrine floors here are made of worn out wooden boards, and mud or tent porous walls and broken doors or no doors at all. Users do not get the privacy required. Most of the latrines are smelly with feces smeared around the squat hole, and their roofs are set too low for medium to tall people.

Garbage is carelessly spread around the garden, and a few homes have clotheslines. The rest of the families air clothes on the ground, on the hedges and on the rooftops. Having a hygiene training will be a very good platform to educate this community on the importance of hanging clothes on wire lines to prevent diseases and infections.

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.

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.

Project Updates


May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Eluhobe Community, Amadi Spring

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

Trainer Shigali leads handwashing demonstration

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Eluhobe, Kenya.

We trained more than 40 people on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19. Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

Trainer Simidi shows how to make a face mask

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

An elder washes her hands

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

Reviewing the prevention reminders chart

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point, along with a sign with reminders of what we covered.

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

Observing social distancing

We continue to stay in touch with this community as the pandemic progresses. We want to ensure their water point remains functional and their community stays informed about the virus.

Handwashing demonstration

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




September, 2018: A Year Later: Eluhobe Community

A year ago, generous donors helped protect a spring for Eluhobe Community in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow 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: Eluhobe Community

August, 2018

Michael Omuchina’s mother used to tell him to make sure not to collect any dirt when fetching water. Now he doesn’t have to worry about that thanks to the reliable protected spring in Eluhobe.

Keeping The Water Promise

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

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Eluhobe Community, Amadi 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, generous donors helped protect a spring for Eluhobe Community in Kenya. The contributions of incredible monthly donors and others giving directly to The Water Promise allow 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 Erick Wagaka with you.


The community has a deep love for their protected spring. They opened up drainage channels in January to direct possible flood waters away during the rainy season.

"It is now so easy for us to get water from the spring," Michael Omuchina, a 12-year-old boy said.

"Before it was constructed, my mother used to send me to the spring but with the instruction to be careful and not to draw the dirt in the water. However, I no longer have to worry because the spring now gushes out clean water, continually."

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 Eluhobe is changing many lives.

The access to clean and safe water from the spring has helped reduce incidences of waterborne diseases. As a result, children go to school without fear of contracting diseases. They carry the spring water to drink while at school and get the same water for use at home.

"Since the spring was protected, more students are staying in school and absenteeism is down due to the decrease in diarrhea caused by waterborne diseases," Mr. Jazron Amakobe, a member of the Water User Committee for the spring, said.

"This has led to an improved performance by students and a rejuvenated their quest for academic excellence. This is possible because of the available clean water from the spring and information on proper hygiene and sanitation that we learned during the training."

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 Eluhobe Community, Amadi 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 Eluhobe Community, Amadi 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.


Contributors

Girl Scout Troop 2473
PS 89
Datanyze, Inc.
Peoria Nazarene Church
15 individual donor(s)