This project is part of Bridge Water Project's program in Western Kenya. What follows is direct from them (edited for clarity):
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Sidikho primary is a public day mixed primary school that was started in the year 1934 under the sponsorship of Friends church (Quakers), to eradicate illiteracy in the community and promote education amongst the community.
In the year 1982 the Kenyan Finland Company dug a well for the school. The well was developed with 1M diameter concrete casing from bottom to the top, covered by 4” concrete slab then an Affridev pump was installed which served until 1999 when it was vandalized by unknown persons. Since then, the school and community has had challenges of accessing quality water for their domestic use. While conducting the baseline survey earlier this year, for this county BWP advised the management to fill out an application to request for the rehabilitation of their school shallow well.
CURRENT WATER SOURCE
The school currently gets water from protected spring situated 1KM away from the school. In order for the pupils to get water from the spring they have to go through a forested area, which is likely to be more dangerous to the girl child, which exposes them to potential predators. The water from the spring record a turbidity value of 80 way below World Health Organization Parameters of good water for human consumption. During long dry seasons the water level is too low, causing pupils to queue for long, which causes chaos between the pupils and the community since the crumble for water.
POPULATION
Sidikho Primary School records an enrolment of 292 girls, 224 boys, 13, teachers and 2 support staff. Approximately 531 people.
HYGIENE & SANITATION
The school has permanent classrooms, which are washed twice a week. There are 6 pit latrines for the girls 5 for the boys and 1 for the teachers. No hand washing practice is done in the school. There is a compost pit where litters are dumped.
ACCESSING THE NEED
There is need to rehabilitate the proposed Sidikho Primary School Water Project that is aimed at improving sanitation and hygiene of the school and also improve the relationship between the pupils and the community members who have always been quarrelling over little water from the protected spring.
PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
If the well is rehabilitated it will benefit Sidikho Primary School and the surrounding communities.
WATER COMMITTEE
The school Management Committee has already appointed amongst themselves a water committee that will take charge the operational 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 the proposed project and proper maintenance of the pump.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
HYGIENE AND SANITATION TRAINING
Hygiene and sanitation in Sidikho Primary School reflects right away from the school gate. Even though the school compound is cleaned every morning, on the other side, the other practices are ignored. This are; litters are dumped everywhere, open defecation on the latrine floor, no hand washing point ,lack of water treatment and poor personal hygiene.
To help the school change their negative attitude and gain a positive attitude towards good hygiene and sanitation practices, training was conducted to the class 5 and 6 pupils in one of the classroom. The pupils sat in groups and participated fully.
Personal hygiene of the pupils in this school is poor since some do not bathe daily nor wash their school uniforms. Others have dry skin which causes itchiness every time. This deters them from concentrating in class and this is a clear indication of taking contaminated water.
Water from the various current water sources brought by pupils is carried in dirty jerricans and is used directly. No water treatment method is done and this arises to cases of water borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhea. To avoid such cases the pupils noted the methods of treating water before use and how to store. For example they learned that water for drinking is treated and kept in a clean container and covered. The water treatment methods include boiling, filtering and chlorinating.
The pupil’s don’t practice hand washing at all. In this activity one of the pupils showed how to wash hands but it was poorly done since he did not use soap and a lot of water. The demonstration was repeated with soap and a lot of water. From this practice they learned of the critical moments of washing hands; this is after visiting latrine, after and before eating, after doing manual work and after getting in contact with feces.
More of hygiene and sanitation practices were emphasizes on a set of pictures in which pupils discussed in their groups. They learned the good hygiene and sanitation and promised to practice the same as learned.
WELL PAD CONSTRUCTION
The construction team arrived at the site fully equipped. Reconstruction work begun by removing off the broken well pad and the well slab. Fitting of the slab back to the well was the next process, and then smooth plastering was done to make sure the well is adequately protected.
This process was done with keenness to avoid contamination of water. The whole process was assisted by pupils helping with clearing the area to make it clean and also getting water to help with the construction work.
PROJECT COMPLETION: FLUSHING, PUMP INSTALLATION AND HANDING OVER
After the construction of the well pad was done and cured for one week, the next activity was to flush the well. Flushing was done to remove the dirty particles and the stagnant water out so that the recharge of fresh and clean water could take place.
After flushing was done, a new Afridev pump was installed to the well successfully. An applause of claps and adulation was heard from the pupils after seeing clean water flowing out of there long time seized well which is now functional. Finally the well was handed over to the school, looking forward for good hygiene and sanitation practices.
