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
Kakoyi Community is home to 550 people from 55 different households. (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 site would be a good candidate for a second project in the future so adequate water is available. To learn more, click here.)
Kakoyi Community's people are farmers who grow sugarcane as their main cash crop. Men and women are both considered the bread winners of their families. Alcoholism is a huge problem in this community, with many men leaving women with the burden of running their homes. Most young men in this community are without jobs, so economic growth of this community is at a standstill.
The Current Source
Kenya Finland Company installed a well in 1987, because they found a good deposit of water that could last the community throughout all seasons. However, the pump was stolen by unknown persons, rendering the well useless for the surrounding community members.
Now, Kakoyi people must fetch their water from a nearby protected spring. Though construction was done to protect the spring's water, people are still concerned about nearby farming and latrines. Even though locals know about this and choose to boil before drinking, small children still cannot stomach the spring's water. Kakoyi Community reports that diarrhea and typhoid in children have led to death. Locals like Bernard Talai are desperately in need of a new pump on their well:
Born in Kakoyi Community, Bernard Talai is now thirty years of age, married to one wife and had three children: one is deceased and two are alive.
Being a fourthborn son in a family of six, Bernard is a bitter person who has undergone many challenges as a result of poor sanitation and lack of safe water. Bernard recalls that the misfortunes in his life started when unknown persons stole the hand pump from the well dug by then Kenya Finland Company. “It was in the year 2000, when we woke up early in the morning and discovered that our pump had been stolen. This was after my wife had gone to collect water for drinking," Mr. Bernard recalls.
On that fateful morning, Bernard recalls how every community member was frustrated not knowing what to do. After some deliberation, they all decided to go back to their old stream and access water from there.
“After a period of five months, my firstborn four-year-old daughter started complaining of stomachaches which later resulted in diarrhea. As a poor family, we tried to treat her through traditional methods but the situation worsened,” Bernard narrates. “My second child also started experiencing the same symptoms like our firstborn. At this point, we decided to get them to the nearby dispensary. On reaching the dispensary, one of my daughters passed away. This has been a tough moment to our young family."
Bernard and his wife have always remembered to treat water before drinking after the tough experience they went through. Due to the distance of the current water source and the quality of water from the stream, Bernard is upset knowing that they used to have a safe water point right next-door that some inhuman person stole.
“My wife is now three days after she gave birth to my third born. I am forced to hire someone to fetch water from the stream and pay him 5 shillings per container. At the same time, I also pay him to fetch water for my mother who is sick and cannot walk long distances or carry a heavy load. I therefore spent 200 shillings per day, for which it becomes a challenge to raise keeping in mind that I am jobless and I have a family to look after," Bernard said.
Even though Bernard feels bitterness in his heart, he says that he has a reason to smile again for what God has done for his community by sending a Good Samaritan to rehabilitate the well. “I will commit all my efforts together with the other community members to ensure that our rehabilitated water source is safe and well maintained. I will not wish anyone else to lose a relative through death as a reason of drinking dirty water and eating contaminated food."
Sanitation Situation
Over 50% of households have pit latrines, which are routinely cleaned by both women and men. The latrine doors are made of old iron sheets. The other portion of the community that does not have latrines often resorts to open defication. These families are in desperate need of their own latrines, or at least need to share with a neighbor. Waste that is not properly disposed of is easily carried from here to there, and is a huge danger to health. Training will sensitize Kakoyi's community members to the important of using sanitation facilities.
Many of the households that have latrines also have hand-washing stations with soap available. Over 75% have dish racks and clotheslines. After the initial visit to Kakoyi, it was found that the community has a very positive attitude regarding hygiene and sanitation. They have the knowledge, but they need motivation to use it. Training will do just that for them.
Two more hand-washing stations will be installed in the form of "tippy taps." Tippy taps are containers tied to ropes, which tip to pour water for hand-washing. Community members will learn how and when to use these stations during hygiene and sanitation training.
Training Sessions
Community members will be trained for three days on hygiene and sanitation topics. Some of these topics are:
– Effects of open defecation
– Proper water storage and effective treatment
– Food preparation, handling, and storage
– Forming an effective water user committee
The water user committee will fund repairs, maintain, and keep the well site secure.
The training facilitator plans to use the PHAST (Participatory Health and Sanitation Training) method to teach the above topics and more, and will return in July to hold a refresher training, check the new well, and assess if the community has made any progress.
Project Results: Training
Hygiene and sanitation training was held under a tree in Kakoyi Community. There was good attendance of both men and women, and both genders fully participated in each activity. The facilitator ensured that each planned topic was covered. After training, the community members were grateful for what they learned and promised to change their lifestyles. Housewife Lilian Meshack said, "We are not used to washing our hands every time because we believe its a waste of time. Hand-washing techniques was amazing to us, we are glad to learn the critical moments of washing hands!"
By the end of training, the community had also formed a water user committee in charge of security, management, and maintenance of the rehabilitated well.
Well Rehabilitation
Repairs on the Kakoyi community well began on April 14th. The team started by removing the old cracked well pad with chisels and mallets. When demolition was complete, they could mix concrete, sand, water, and cement to plaster a new well pad. This was then left to cure for three days before installing a new Afridev pump.
All the while, the community took care of the construction team by ensuring they had enough materials, meals, and security. No challenges were encountered from onset to finish of this project. Once finished, community members showed their obvious gratefulness. Farmer Albert Talai said on behalf of he and his community, "We are happy to have our water system in place again. We have been suffering from waterborne diseases because of taking the contaminated water from the spring. We will maintain the water system for our own benefit, especially for our health and upcoming generation."
Kakoyi Community has a reason to smile again after a very long time wasted searching for safe, clean water. The community thanks God for sending Good Samaritans who saved their lives by rehabilitating their well. They promise to unite their efforts to ensure their water system is kept safe and well-maintained. "We are happy to have lessons of hygiene and sanitation practices that are going to improve our hygiene status. We hope if we maintain proper hygiene and sanitation there will be no death of drinking dirty water and eating contaminated food," said Mr. Benard Talai.
