Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: The Water Promise - Kenya

Impact: 300 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Nov 2015

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 02/14/2024

Project Features


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Community Profile

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

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Like many communities in western Kenya, Ebumwende community is inhabited by farmers who grow sugarcane as their main cash crop, as well as maize, beans and vegetables. Most people from this community are Christians hence they congregate in the nearby Anglican Church.

As a result of the community’s sense of unity, the members have always learned to hold their hands together in times of need and more so in the activities that affect the community.

In a period of the past two years, the community through the help of their local leaders sorted to find solutions towards the scarcity of water in the community and the outbreak of waterborne diseases like diarrhea among the children and typhoid to the elderly.

A program was started in the community where every household contributed a certain amount, which was collectively put together through a local fundraiser/well wisher who facilitated the costs for drilling a borehole. This was objectively done to help relieve women from the burden of walking long distances in search of water.

After the well had been drilled, the community was unable to secure enough funding for the purchase of the hand pump. Since then, the community has continued to access water from far and contaminated sources.

We will facilitate all the required steps to make this well a sustainable resource for the community.  It requires a thorough clean up which will be done by flushing so as to get out all the dirty water, allowing a fresh recharge. After flushing the well, construction of a new well pad will be done, and there after a pump will be installed. In addition to the actual well reconstruction, the community will receive training in sanitation and hygiene, among other activities.

To help this community have an access to clean water, the community members have called upon Bridge Water Project to assist in providing and installing a hand pump to the well. By installing the hand pump, the community will be able to draw water from the well hence reduced spread of waterborne diseases.

CURRENT WATER SOURCE

The community does not have a permanent water source since all the reliable sources are seasonal. At times, women of this community are forced to walk distances searching for water in the neighboring communities. This has led to the outbreak of diarrhea and typhoid diseases.

POPULATION

The community has an approximated number of 35 households each containing 5 to 8 people per household.

HYGIENE & SANITATION

At least every household has a usable latrine in place though not a super structure. None of the latrines are covered and this exposes the community to the contamination of food and water through the transmission of flies and feces.

Hand washing practices are not common, as most households have no hand washing stations in place. To make the situation worse, the community members were observed using water for washing hands, directly from the storage containers. This leads to recontamination.

Every house hold has a dish rack and cloth lines in place. A composite pit is also in place for dumping litter.

The community needs more knowledge on good hygiene and sanitation and BWP plans to train them on the proper practices using the PHAST methodology.

ASSESSING THE NEED

The community is in great need for water, which will be used for drinking, cooking, washing and watering of their domestic needs.

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

The project will be of great benefit to the community members.

WATER COMMITTEE

With the help of the community’s local leadership, a strong water committee is to be formed. The water committee shall be in charge of all the operations and maintenance of the water project.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

PHASE 1 HYGIENE AND SANITATION TRAINING

Hygiene and Sanitation training was the first step in implementing the Ebumwende Community Water Project. Bridge Water Project had to train the community members on proper Hygiene and Sanitation practices, which was facilitated in a member's home. The training was attended by mostly women. The women were taken through different activities that improve their Hygiene practices, prevent diarrheal diseases, and manage their well water and facilities.

The goal of this training was to make community members aware of the major causes of diseases, teach their prevention practices, and equip members with the proper tools to manage and maintain the well.

To kick off the training, members were asked to discuss their current domestic hygiene and sanitation practices. Although many had knowledge about hygiene and sanitation, most did not put this knowledge into practice, claiming it was a waste of time. The facilitator explained this was not the case through different activities:

A) Washing Hands

With the help of the facilitator, community members were able to mention the critical moments for hand-washing i.e. before and after eating, after handshakes, after handling garbage and waste, after using the bathroom and after manual labor. They learned the proper way to wash hands through a demonstration that included running water and soap.

B) Good and Bad Hygiene Practices Poster Discussion

Ignorance and bad attitudes contribute to the diarrhea outbreaks in Ebumwende community. Group members learned this through a chain of pictures that illustrated their daily behavioral activities.

C) Importance of Building and Using Latrines

Community members were urged to build latrines and then use them. The facilitator explained the importance of using latrines more and practicing open defecation less; that open defecation is actually the main cause of waterborne illnesses.

PHASE 2 WELL PAD CONSTRUCTION

Reconstruction of the well pad was the next activity; the construction team arrived at the site fully equipped. Cement work was done carefully to avoid any opening that will contaminate water. After the plastering, the well pad was left to cure for some days.

PHASE 3 PUMP INSTALLATION AND HANDING OVER

After the curing stage was done, the next activity was to flush the well so as to remove the stagnant water and make room for fresh, clean water. Then an Afridev pump was installed so the community could start getting access to the clean water. Thereafter, the well was handed over to the community.

Thank You for making all of this possible!

Project Updates


August, 2020: Through Their Eyes: COVID-19 Chronicles with Mical Naliaka Barasa

This post is part of a new series by The Water Project meant to highlight the perspectives and experiences of the people we serve and how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting them. We invite you to read more of their stories here.

Our team recently visited Ebumwende community to conduct a COVID-19 prevention training (read more about it below!) and monitor their water point. Shortly after, we returned to check in on the community, offer a COVID-19 refresher training, and ask how the pandemic is affecting their lives.

Mical Naliaka Barasa and her son.

It was during this most recent visit that Mical Naliaka Barasa shared her story of how the coronavirus has impacted her life.

Field Officer Fanice Terry met Mical outside her his home to conduct the interview. Both Fanice and Mical observed social distancing and other precautions throughout the visit to ensure their health and safety. The following is Mical’s story, in her own words.


What is one thing that has changed in your community since the construction of the well?

"In this community, since the installation of the pump on our cherished water point, there have been lots of positive changes in our lives. For instance, the distance covered while fetching water was shortened. People are not getting sick from consuming contaminated water. Our children can now afford some extra time to study and play which helps them to grow even stronger than before. Since we can practice small scale farming such as growing a kitchen garden and rearing livestock, we can afford a balanced meal which has improved so much on our nutritional level in the community."

How has having a clean water point helped you through the pandemic so far?

"Having a clean water point at this community has helped so much in the fight against the corona pandemic since access to sufficient water for washing hands with soap for twenty seconds for each individual in the community regularly is attainable. At least people are washing hands every day without the fear of water running out."

Mical at the community COVID training.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kenya, has fetching water changed for you because of restrictions, new rules, or your concerns about the virus?

"Fetching water has not changed but after the COVID-19 sensitization training from TWP, I and my family shall change since we now understand better what coronavirus is, how it spreads and measures that we can take to prevent ourselves from contracting or spreading the COVID-19 disease."

How has COVID-19 impacted your family?

"My family has experienced both positive and negative impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. First and foremost, my school-going children have been affected so much. I have a form four candidate who is supposed to sit for national exams this year and I have a class eight pupil expected to clear her primary school this year yet they are not going to school. They are not able to read and understand better on their own and I can't afford a private tutor at the moment. This will surely affect their performance academically once they sit for their exams. On the other hand, I have a college student who was in his final semester and was expected to graduate. The directive of closing schools has affected him so much. There is also an increase in expenditure on food and transportation. Now every single person is at home and I am the breadwinner in the family. The pandemic has helped us hygienically since we have managed as a family to adapt to a new habit of washing hands every time. For example, we only washed hands after visiting the toilet and before eating, but now, we are washing as we get out of the house and coming home and every two hours as well. Now that the children are all at home, it's a positive thing since they now get to know their relatives whom they haven't met before."

What other challenges are you experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

"The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have brought about a number of challenges on how we do life today. To begin with, wearing a mask is a new thing and personally I struggle to breathe while am wearing it but I can't remove it. Traveling expenses have tripled which has made it even more difficult for me to commute to work and back home. The directive on how to conduct funerals has made us not even mourn our deceased but also it is good since we have realized that we don't need to spend too much on funerals after all. There is an increase in expenditure which has made life to be more expensive and yet the income has reduced. The biggest challenge is in the ignorance of the people, as far as COVID-19 disease is concerned. There are people who don't believe that it actually exists and they are arguing that unless they see the dead body with their own eyes, they wouldn't believe in the existence of the disease."

What hygiene and sanitation steps have you and your community taken to stop the spread of the virus?

"First and foremost, we are staying at home. No one is permitted to go out unless he is going to do something important which can't wait. We have also restricted unnecessary visitors to our home. Washing of hands with soap and water for twenty seconds is observed strictly in my homestead, wearing masks all the time when one goes out is also practiced though I have restricted my children from going out. I do all the errands myself to minimize movements. We no longer go for funerals but we do give our contribution as a family to support the bereaved family via mobile money transactions, and of course, we are not going to religious gatherings but watch Livestream church service on television."

Mical feeds her chickens.

When asked where she receives information about COVID-19, Mical listed the radio, television, newspaper, loudspeaker/megaphone announcements, word of mouth, and our team's sensitization training.

What has been the most valuable part of the COVID-19 sensitization training you received from our team?

"The making of masks at home and how the soap works and the illustration of soap fighting the coronavirus in our bodies was understood in-depth."




Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


Contributors

three6ixty
St. Mary Catholic Church Altar Rosary Society
Vanguard Charitable/The Eric and Janet Stickland Charitable Fund
WMU Heart to Hands - First Baptist Blue Ridge, GA
Steve & Trina Stuk
The Episcopal Academy (Rachel, Ivan, & Max)
SWK Technologies, Inc.
The Lee Family
Breathing Sunshine Ltd.
Christina and Maia
Erick and Katie Johnston
Heeringa Family
Jessica Woodbury gift donation
The Rice/Conboy/Hanson Family
VSP Global Strategic Marketing
Crunchie Media Ltd
Georgetown University Clean Water H2OYAS 2014
PCCW St. James Church
CEGEP John Abbott College
DL Byron
Marysa Mullen
8th grade of Media-Providence Friends School
Marlboro Girl Scouts Troop 733
Microsoft East Region SMB TEAm
Mr. Grossi's 6th grade class
Pastoral Care of Good Samaritan
The Harris Family
The Lochens
Toll Gate Elementary School
#teamlampa in honor of Stephen Montoya
CFSGAM
New Covenant Academy 7th Grade Class
The Stephenson/Hardy's
144 individual donor(s)