LUYESHE PRIMARY SCHOOL WATER PROJECT - REHABILITATION
• VILLAGE : LUYESHE
• LOCATION : MALEKHA
• SUB-LOCATION : SHIRUGU
• DIVISION : KABRAS CENTRAL
• DISTIRCT : KAKAMEGA NORTH
• COUNTY : KAKAMEGA
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Luyeshe Primary School Water Project is a mixed day public school started in the year 1977 through the efforts of Friends (Quakers) Church with an aim of eradicating illiteracy and promoting education within the area. In the year 1983, Kenya Finland Western Water Supply drilled the water point at Luyeshe Primary School to serve the pupils and the surrounding community. The well was constructed and installed with a Nirah Pump, which served the school well until the year 2011 when it stopped working and they could not get spare parts. The school management committee has used a lot of money to repair the pump but all in vain as spare parts for Nirah pumps are not readily available and make shift parts usually wind up causing more damage to the well than repairing it. After many tries the school management board applied to Bridge Water Project for assistance to rehabilitate their failed well.
CURRENT WATER SOURCE
Currently, Luyeshe Primary pupils depend on a borehole, which serves the school and the community. Due to worn out parts out of the pump, the pupils find it difficult to access water therefore forcing them to walk long distances searching water from other unprotected sources.
POPULATION
The school has an enrollment of 692 pupils (280 boys, and 330 girls) and 22 teaching staff. The school has 2 watchmen,1 cook and Early Child hood unit, which has 62 kids and 2 Teachers. (Editor's Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500people. This community would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)
HYGIENE & SANITATION
Luyeshe Primary School has permanent classrooms, which are washed once a week, every Friday evening before pupils go home for the weekend. The school has 24 pits Latrines 10 for girls, 12 for boys and 2 for teachers, which are washed every morning on daily basis. The school has a kitchen where meals for teachers and standard eight pupils are prepared. Compost pit is in place where dirt is dumped.
ASSESSING THE NEED
There’s need to rehabilitate Luyeshe Primary School water point to enable the pupils and teachers access to quality water within the school compound. Access to water in the school compound will help in cooking, cleaning and drinking. This will also enhance hygiene and sanitation standards of the pupils and the entire school.
PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
The main beneficiaries of this project will be the pupils and teachers of Luyeshe Primary.
WATER COMMITTEE
The school management committee is in place and will take charge of operations and maintenance of the water point to ensure its sustainability. Bridge Water Project staff will train the pupils and teachers on hygiene and sanitation before implementing this project.
PHASE one (22nd June-26th June) HYGIENE AND SANITATION TRAINING.
Luyeshe primary is a mixed school of both boys and girls. The school’s performance is average despite all the challenges the school faces.
Poor hygiene and sanitation conditions are highly experienced in this school. Most pupils, both boys and girls, walk bare foot, have torn and dirty uniforms.
The school has latrines which are almost full hence do not march the ratio between boys and girls.
No hand washing is done in the school and therefore there has been a high occurrence of typhoid and diarrheal diseases among the pupils.
To help address these problems, the school was trained on several aspects of good practices of hygiene and sanitation. The aspects include;
a) Hand washing.
b) Fetching and drinking clean water.
c) Use of latrine; importance and risks of using a latrine.
d) The clean school and its environment.
e) Germ free food.
f) How to prevent diarrhea.
g) Personal hygiene.
Due to the training, the school’s health club and the management of the school had to ensure;
i. Use and maintenance of all the latrines in school.
By proper maintenance, the latrines will be clean, locked, clear path to the latrine and no presence of flies and smell.
ii. Proper hand washing.
This is done after visiting latrines and before eating; by so doing, the school has to ensure availability of hand washing facility, soap, and water.
iii. Good personal hygiene.
The school has to help the pupils have clean clothes, trimmed fingernails, short and neat hair, clean face and body and clean handkerchiefs.
iv. Maintaining cleanness of the school compound and the classrooms.
This will be made possible by making duty rosters, regular observations, and availability of cleaning materials.
v. Organize school hygiene and sanitation events;
These are to be done through a program of hygiene events (interclass competitions, hand-washing days).
PHASE 2: (29TH JUNE- JULY 3RD) PAD CONSTRUCTION.
The bridge water project construction team mobilized to the site in preparation for the construction of the well pad. The pupils and teachers were present and were ready to help where possible.
Having materials availed on the ground, the men begun to work.
The school prepared meals for the men on work.
The work was well done and the pad was left to cure for four days there after the pump will be installed and handed over.
PHASE 3: (29th JUNE-1ST JULY) PUMP INSTALLATION AND HANDING OVER.
The service team mobilized to Luyeshe primary school for pump installation. The school was eagerly waiting for this project to be completed so as to quickly start enjoying its services.
The pump installation process was done successfully without any challenges. Once the process was over, the well was handed over to the school pupils and teachers who were excited and happy.
The rehabilitation of the well was a reason for their happiness since more problems of drinking dirty water had come to an end. In addition, the head teacher anticipated for good academic and curriculum results since the pupils will no longer waste time in search of good and clean water.
The existence of the rehabilitated well is also anticipated to bring a positive impact on the hygiene and sanitation condition of this school.
