This project is a part of our shared program with Safe Water and Sustainable Hygiene Initiative (SAWASHI). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).
Background Information
Makhwabuyu Village is located in Kimanget Location, East Kabras Division, Malava Sub-County of Kakamega North County. There are approximately 45 households in the village, with five to eight family members in each. These families depend mainly on farming of sugarcane and maize crops.
The women of each household are responsible for finding and fetching water regardless of the time it takes, the distance, or water quality.
In 1992, a hand-dug well was made by the Finland Company with the aim of reducing the distance women had to walk for water. The hand pump of this well was vandalized in 2004, and community members had to break open the well pad and had to start using a bucket and rope to haul up water. Now that the well has been broken open, the water has become contaminated and after drinking, community members have noticed a great increase in waterborne diseases.
The community is asked for help to install a replacement pump so they can once again access safe, clean water. This water will be used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and farming.
Current Water Source
The community depends on the defunct shallow well which is now open to contamination.
Hygiene and Sanitation
The children and elderly are especially prone to cases of waterborne diseases, especially typhoid and diarrhea-related sickness. This is a result of drinking from the broken well and handling food improperly.
Few households have sanitation facilities like dish racks, clotheslines, or compost pits.
There is a need for training that will change the behaviors and attitudes of this community. They must be educated on proper hand-washing, handling food and its preparation, water storage, and good personal hygiene.
Water Committee
Community members have formed a strong Water Committee that will be in charge of the rehabilitated well's management and maintenance.
Training Sessions
Training was held around the project site, which is a convenient location for most members of the community. Participants were recruited with help from the village elder. There ended up being more women than men present, and these women were also much more involved than the men. The women's responsiveness was great compared to the men's, specifically in terms of asking and answering questions that arose during training. As a norm, this community believes that women are the ones to be associated with hygiene and sanitation issues. This could be the reason why the response from men was low compared to women. Training was held over a total of three days: two days were set aside for hygiene and sanitation education, and the third day was dedicated to forming and training a water user committee.
The facilitator used posters illustrating both good and bad behaviors related to sanitation and hygiene. Topics highlighted over the two days were:
- Proper hand-washing
- Food preparation and storage
- Water collection and storage
- Waterborne diseases and their prevention (particularly typhoid and diarrhea)
- Water treatment methods
- General cleanliness of households
Participants learned about these topics in dynamic settings, such as lectures, group discussions, and pair work.
On the third day of training, participants voted on members for a water user committee. This committee is in charge of managing and maintaining the water point. They must agree on rules for proper behavior around the well, collect fees, and report any issues to the project implementor. The community has great hope for their water user committee because it includes members that were formerly involved in government leadership. Their presence will help the entire community cooperate and adhere to the set rules and regulations.
Women raised many concerns about household hygiene and challenged their counterparts (the men) to help them improve the situation. A follow-up will be held so as to ascertain whether there was a noticeable impact from training, because changes to behavior do not occur automatically but are a gradual process.
Project Result: Rehabilitated Hand-Dug Well
During this process, community members prepared meals for the team. One of the biggest challenges to construction was constant rain, but community members also volunteered their time and efforts to build a shelter for workers. Community member Annah Jerah looked on with expectation, saying, "We are really waiting for this project to be completed as we also hope that it will reduce our stress of using rope to draw water. We also anticipate a healthy living now that we shall have clean and safe water for use at all times."
The construction team began their work on January 22. The team reconstructed the well pad which had cracks that were allowing re‐contamination. A good ratio of cement, sand and concrete was mixed and used to re-construct the well pad. This process took a period of three days after which the well pad was left to cure. Water quality testing is scheduled for February 5, and workers will return to the site in April to make sure this well is still in good working condition.
Community members like Annah Thank You for unlocking potential!
