SHEYWE PRIMARY SCHOOL WATER PROJECT - REHABILITATION
• VILLAGE - SHEYWE
• SUB-LOCATION - SHEYWE
• LOCATION - SHIRUGU
• DIVISION - CENTRAL KABRAS
• DISTRICT - KAKAMEGA NORTH
• COUNTY - KAKAMEGA •
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Sheywe primary is a mixed day school started in the year 1989 by the efforts of Sheywe community members. The school is registered by the ministry of education and hosts pupils from Early Childhood Education to class eight. In the year 1987, Kenya Finland Western Water Supply Agency drilled a water point within the school compound.
The borehole was constructed and installed with NIRAH pump which served well until 2012 when it broke down. The school management committees have tried several attempts, but all have failed, to repair the pump. One major factor is the lack of availability of spare parts in local market for Nirah parts.
Due to the long distances, children need to walk to collect water, most of the pupils drop out of school creating a high number of illiteracy in the area. Because of these issues the school made an application to Bridge Water Project, seeking the assistance for rehabilitating the well. The school participates in co-curriculum activities such as Ball games and Athletics.
POPULATION
Sheywe primary school has an enrollment of 261 boys, 319 girls and 16 teachers and 2 sub ordinate staff a total of 598 people. (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 350-500 people. 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
The school has permanent classrooms which are swept every evening daily and washed twice in a week, Monday and Fridays. Pit latrines are 6 for boys, 7 for girls and 2 for teachers which are cleaned every morning. The school has only one hand washing point for teachers. The school has a Compost pit where litters are dumped.
ASSESSING THE NEED
There’s need to rehabilitate the proposed Sheywe Primary School water point to enable pupils, teachers and community access quality water for their school’s domestic use and also to improve sanitation and hygiene status of the school. With functioning well water point, waterborne diseases experience will go down hence people s health will be improved.
PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
The pupils of Sheywe Primary School and the entire community will be the direct beneficiaries.
WATER COMMITTEE
The school Management Committee is in place and will take charge of operational and management of the water point to ensure its sustainability. Bridge Water Project staff will train the pupils and teachers on hygiene and sanitation training before implementing this project.
PHASE I - HYGIENE AND SANITATION TRAINING
When BWP went to evaluate the hygiene conditions at the Sheywe Primary school, it was noted that as a whole does the school was not practicing the proper hygiene and sanitation practices. BWP planned out the hygiene and sanitation training. The school has only two hand washing stations that are being used by the teachers, that is at the staffroom door point and at the toilet, the latrines and classes are not washed daily. The hygiene and sanitation condition of a pupil is critically poor. Waterborne diseases have been estimated to be the main cause of diseases such as typhoid, cholera dysentery and diarrhea.
A part from just rehabilitating the well that is anticipated to help improve the situation of the school, as a way of helping the school to overcome the outbreaks of the waterborne diseases, improving personal hygiene and environmental hygiene, BWP staff conducted a full training in Sanitation and Hygiene to the pupils.
The training comprised of boys and girls of standard 5, 6 and 7 who were of the age ranging between 11-16 years. Some of the topics learned during the training were;
- Clean is beautiful.
- Hand washing.
- Importance of using a latrine.
- Transmission of diseases by flies.
- Safe water, its handling and treatment.
Clean is beautiful was the first topic, the pupils had to show up their cleanliness of hand i.e. finger nails should be cut short and always cleaned every time, bathing every day, brushing their teeth every morning and washing their clothes. In the discussion groups the pupils of Shewye Primary School learned that they practice bad hygiene through the Good and Bad posters.
The pupils were able to learn on the risks of failure to wash hands and the importance. By so doing, a demonstration on proper hand washing was done. The pupils learned that hands must be washed by use of soap or ash. In their discussion groups, the pupils analyzed on the critical moments of washing hands. Some of the moments analyzed were;
a) After visiting the toilets.
b) Before and after eating.
c) After work.
d) After changing the nappies of the young ones.
e) After playing.
Water is essential but it’s the main cause of diseases to most people when it’s poorly handled i.e. handling with dirty hands, storing in dirty containers and not treating. This causes diseases like cholera, typhoid and diarrhea. Through the F-Diagram they learned how the dieses are transmitted in to our bodies and this was demonstrated by the use of finger, fluids, feaces, and food and flies posters.
PAD CONSTRUCTION
The construction team mobilized to the school and more of reconstruction of the well pad was done. Removal of the Brocken well pad and Nirrah pump was done in assistant with the pupils. Then concrete mixing and plastering of the pad was done. The school management provided meals for the team. The well pad was left to cure for three days.
PHASE 2: PUMP INSTALLATION AND HANDING OVER
After three days of curing the next step was to chlorinate the water first then install an Afridev pump to Sheywe Primary School borehole. The borehole was installed with a new afridev pump then UPVC pipes were used during the installation. Stainless steel rods were also used so as to prevent contamination rust. After installation, the pump was tested to ensure it was functioning properly.
Thereafter the water was handed over to the teachers and the pupils of Sheywe primary school. One of the teachers gave an acknowledgment speech to thank Bridge Water Project and The Water Project for rescuing their need of accessing clean and safe water.
Thank you The Water Project.
