Project Status



Project Type:  Dug Well and Hand Pump

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Oct 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/28/2024

Project Features


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It was a hot, sunny, but thankfully windy day when we first visited Kitali Community. It's a rural area that's slowly picking up in development. Dense vegetation is broken up by small, mud block households.

There are 840 people from 120 different households living in Kitali. The average family is huge, with around 10 people living under one roof. They practice farming, specializing in sugarcane that's sold to Butali Sugar Factory and West Sugar Factory. Apart from sugarcane, they plant vegetables in their kitchen gardens to feed their own families. Many of the men are actually employed as laborers for the sugar factories.

Water

There are three different types of water sources in Kitali: rainwater is collected from household roofs, water is paid for from a kiosk, and a bucket and rope are used to access water in an open well.

We're concerned about the rainwater, for it's being collected on dirty, rusty roofs. Plus, households only have small buckets and can only collect a small amount. They must supplement this rainwater with either cheap and dirty water or expensive and clean water. This is a difficult choice for households, since sugarcane is being sold at record lows.

Households report that not only is the water kiosk water expensive as they're charged per container, but it's also too far for many of them. The open well with a bucket is so much closer, and they insist that it's been reliable since the 1980s.

"In this community, we have a lot of problems especially we the women. Our work has become so difficult because we lack water. Often we get sick because of consuming dirty and contaminated water. Our children are weak and often get sick as well. Our income is also affected by the issue of water and that is why this community is lagging behind when it come to development," Mrs. Antony said.

Sanitation

Only a few households are missing pit latrines, which is good news. The bad news is that all of the latrines we visited are in poor condition - not being cleaned frequently because of water scarcity. There are a couple of handwashing stations, but none of them had soap.

People are aware that they should be cleaning their latrines and washing their hands, but they're of course prioritizing drinking water and cooking water. Mr. Antony Simiyu confirmed this.

"Sanitation conditions in our community are very poor. People don't even take handwashing seriously because of the scarcity of water," he said.

"It is difficult for one to go at a far distance to bring water to clean the toilet when there is no water in the kitchen. We give priority to the kitchen and not toilets when it comes to water. One can take even three days without taking a bath because water is scarce here and this affects our body hygiene."

Here's what we're going to do about it:

Training

In this community, they are trying their very best when it comes to hanging clothes on a clothesline to dry after washing. But when it comes to handwashing and general hygiene, they need to improve. This can be done through the training that will be offered to them. Knowledge is power, and this is what they lack in this community. Once they have the information, we are confident that their attitude towards hand-washing and personal hygiene will change. And most importantly, they'll have clean water that's easily accessible.

The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation) for at least three days of training.

Well Rehabilitation

This type of intervention is the best solution for the people of Kitali because many households prefer its water. Many have depended on this open well since the 1980s, and report that the water levels are consistent.

Once we’ve cleaned out the well, we’ll construct a protective well pad and install a new stainless steel AfriDev pump. This will transform this water point into a more accessible source of clean water.


This project is a part of our shared program with Safe Water and Sustainable Hygiene Initiative (SAWASHI). Our team is pleased to provide the reports for this project (edited for clarity) thanks to the hard work of our friends in Kenya.

Project Updates


September, 2019: Giving Update: Kitali Community

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kitali Community in Kenya access clean water.

There’s an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Kitali. Month after month, their giving supports ongoing sustainability programs that help this community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Read more…




October, 2018: Kitali Community Project Complete

Water is flowing again from a hand-dug well in Kitali, Kenya. People are thrilled about this development that has further unified them as a community. They also attended hygiene and sanitation training, and the water user committee has been strengthened to better take care of their well.

New Knowledge

Planning hygiene and sanitation training in Kitali Community started on day one. During interviews and direct observations from our tour, we were able to identify hygiene and sanitation challenges that were affecting the well-being of community members. Most households lacked handwashing stations and did not wash their hands at critical times.  A few households lacked dish racks and clotheslines to dry their belongings up off the ground. Apart from the high prevalence of malaria, we noted diarrhea and typhoid cases were also quite high.

We also realized that the old well we were rehabilitating first broke down due to lack of a water point management committee. These facts prompted the hygiene and sanitation department to come up with a two-day training focusing on the formation and training of an effective water user committee and a general training on proper hygiene and sanitation for all community members.

 

Attendance was as expected. The training days were carefully selected so as to not conflict with other important activities in the community. According to the village elder, there was at least one representative from each household present. We met outside but halfway through, the rains began to fall so we were forced to take shelter in the chairman's house and neighboring homes for 40 minutes.

We began the training by sharing the findings of our baseline survey. The results quickly aroused interest among the participants, wondering how their day to day habits are affecting their health.

We trained on disease transmission routes for both diarrhea and typhoid. We could see people nodding their heads in agreement. The training then drove home the need for change in the community, including the importance of dish racks, clotheslines, solid waste management, food handling, and handwashing.

Group discussion

Training ended with handwashing practicals. We gave the participants an opportunity to demonstrate to us how they wash their hands, which gave us a chance to teach them the proper process.

By the end of this training, people realized they have the potential to change their quality of life if they work together. They identified activities that they would collectively work on to keep water running in the community, as well as build new hygiene and sanitation tools.

"This training has been an eye-opener, and we feel privileged our community was lucky to undergo the same. Every detail of this training has not only been absorbed by our minds, but it's actually written on our hearts," said Mrs. Alice Zakayo.

"We believe, moving forward starting today, our hygiene and sanitation practices are going to change for the better and our health will improve."

Well Rehabilitation

We built up and re-cemented the well pad to seal cracks and any other openings. Community members helped gather sand that would be mixed with the cement, while we provided five bags of cement and a packet of waterproof cement. The waterproof cement was mainly used around the drawing point to prevent water damage. We installed the base of the new stainless steel AfriDev hand-pump so that it would be firmly sealed in the concrete.

It started raining during well pad construction, but some community members who own umbrellas brought them out and covered our team as they worked.

The reconstructed pad was left to cure for three days, with the community members taking the responsibility of wetting the cement each morning so that it would dry without cracks. The water user committee monitored the drying cement over the three days, lightly watering it so that it would not crack as it dried.

The well was flushed out with an air compressor machine to help get rid of dirt. This created an opportunity for fresh water to recharge into the well after construction. Then the mechanics were given the go-ahead to install the stainless steel AfriDev pump.

The well was chlorinated and handed over to Kitali, though it will be routinely visited through our monitoring and evaluation program.

This project is not only located at the center of this community but also along a busy road taken by pupils who attend a nearby school. Often during lunch breaks and in the evenings on their way back home, pupils crowd at the well to quench their thirst.

"Before rehabilitation of this well, our children were facing a real risk of falling inside the hole because we were drawing water using a rope tied on a bucket. Most parents were always worried about sending their children, especially the younger ones, to come and draw water at this well," remembered Mr. Geoffrey Wasilwa.

"We are now relieved that besides eliminating that risk, our water point is now protected and the water inside is safe. All I can say is that this new water point is a God-sent miracle to us in this community for this year! We are more than grateful to all those who made this possible. They forever will have a special place in our hearts."




August, 2018: Kitali Community Project Underway

A severe clean water shortage in Kitali Community drains people’s time, energy, and health. Thanks to your generosity, we’re working to install a clean water point and much more.

Get to know this community through the introduction and pictures we’ve posted, and read about this water, sanitation and hygiene project. We look forward to reaching out with more good news!




May, 2018: Kitali Community Scheduling

Dear Friends,

Kitali Community is just finishing up a busy planting season on their farms. In order to dedicate enough time to intensive hygiene and sanitation training, we've decided to wait until they have enough time and energy for group sessions and house visits. Not to mention they'll have to host our mechanics and artisans, too! This project will now be completed by the end of October or earlier. In the meantime, make sure to check out stories and pictures posted on Kitali's project page.




Project Photos


Project Type

Hand-dug wells have been an important source of water throughout human history! Now, we have so many different types of water sources, but hand-dug wells still have their place. Hand dug wells are not as deep as borehole wells, and work best in areas where there is a ready supply of water just under the surface of the ground, such as next to a mature sand dam. Our artisans dig down through the layers of the ground and then line the hole with bricks, stone, or concrete, which prevent contamination and collapse. Then, back up at surface level, we install a well platform and a hand pump so people can draw up the water easily.


Giving Update: Kitali Community

September, 2019

A year ago, your generous donation helped Kitali Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Diana Nyangasi. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Kitali Community.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kitali Community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

Over the past year, due to the rehabilitation of their well, the lives of the people in Kitali have improved the most when it comes to their health, access to safe and clean water, their economic status, and the educational performance of their children.

Their health status has improved because they are now consuming safe water and it does not take so much effort to get it, unlike before when they used to injure their bodies. People no longer suffer from waterborne diseases, and children are now performing better in school because they have enough time to study and play which allows their minds and bodies to rest and rejuvenate unlike before when they used to get so tired as a result of looking for water. Women and youths have been empowered economically because the water point has opened up different opportunities to generate income.

This community is very interesting because its water point is shared across 3 different neighboring communities. Despite their challenges with water before, they have come together in agreement and vowed to cooperate to ensure that they can have and maintain their access to safe and clean water for drinking once again.

Alice Agiza at the well

"We used to go for more than 1 kilometer to get water, but now the distance has been reduced," said Alice Agiza, Chair of the water committee in Kitali.

"Also, we used to draw water from the well using a rope and a bucket which caused some chest and back pains and also we used to purchase water which was costly, but now the community is healthy and can have access to safe and clean water comfortably. This is a great change I have seen since the rehabilitation of this water point. There are no water and sanitation challenges so far since the water project was completed."

Diana Nyangasi, a 9-year-old girl in Kitali, was also keen on sharing her thoughts on the water point since its installation a year ago.

Diana pumps water

"Since the project was completed in my community, my life once changed for the better. I now have plenty of time to study and my grades have improved. I can now find some time to play with my friends and I no longer fall sick because of consuming unsafe water."

"There are no challenges that we are experiencing right now. The only big challenge was with water, and now we have plenty of it."

Alice pumps water; Diana caught in a moment of laughter


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kitali Community maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Kitali Community – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.