Rehabilitation Project
This project is part of Bridge Water Project's program in Western Kenya. What follows is direct from them:
BACKGROUND
The proposed Emachembe primary school is a mixed day primary school started in 2000 by Emachembe Church of God Ingotse Mission, with an aim of eradicating illiteracy in the community where it serves. In early 1989 the community benefitted on Kenya Finland Water Supply Programme with a drilled well registration number C-7050.the well records a total depth of 37M with the water rest level 19M (RSL) well was cased with 4” UPVC casing well pad constructed and an Affridev pump was installed which served the church and community up to 1999 then unknown people stole it since the said water point was a bit distant from peoples home hence being easy for thieves to vandalize the pump. However since the inception of the Emachembe Primary School there is always day and night guard on duty who is paid by the school management committee (SMC).
The school management committee teachers and the pupils made a request to Bridge Water Project to consider rehabilitating the well to enable access clean water for their domestic use and community members.
CURRENT WATER SOURCE
The schools currently fetch water from a shallow well in Mwanga Early Childhood Development Teachers College, which is 1KM away from the school compound. The water from Mwanga E.C.D College well records a turbidity value of 80 ways below World Health Organization recommended parameters of quality water. Also pupils have to walk this 1KM distant on a busy road hence being dangerous to them since it’s possible for accident to occur while pupils are on the process of searching for water.
During long dry spell when the water level goes down the management of Mwanga college deny pupils water since it might not be enough for both institution whereas due to poor quality of water from the well pupils suffer from water borne diseases i.e. typhoid, amoeba and diarrhea.
POPULATION
The school has a population of 285 pupils, 130 boys and 135 girls, 9 teaching staff and 1 non-teaching staff. The community has 25 households with 6 to 7 people per household a projected population of approximately 470 /500 people.
HYGIENE & SANITATION
The school has semi permanent classrooms, which have smeared with cow dung every Friday before pupils’ leaves school for the weekend. There are 8 pit latrines 3 for boys, 3 for girls and 2 for teachers’. There’s a kitchen where 10.00 o’clock snack is prepared for all pupils and teachers and there no enough water storage containers. Compost pit is available where litters are collected and dumped. There’s only one hand washing station for the teachers.
ACCESSING THE NEED
There’s need to rehabilitate the proposed Emachembe Primary school will to enable pupils, teachers and community accesses quality water for their domestic needs and also improve their hygiene and sanitation standards that is aimed at improving their Health. With funds available there is need to intervene in lack of permanent pit latrines for both pupils and teachers.
PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
If the well is rehabilitated it will benefit Emachembe primary school pupils, teachers and the entire community.
WATER COMMITTEE
The school management committee (SMC) have already appointed among themselves and water committee that comprises the village elder (local administration) who will be responsible for operation maintenance and management of the water point to ensure its sustainability.
