{"id":246839,"date":"2025-09-24T15:16:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T19:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/?p=246839"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T13:19:44","slug":"damaged-gutters-threatened-juniors-education-how-we-brought-the-water-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/2025\/09\/24\/damaged-gutters-threatened-juniors-education-how-we-brought-the-water-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Damaged Gutters Threatened Junior\u2019s Education. How We Brought the Water Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When our monitoring team visited the rainwater harvesting tank at Iyenga Primary School<\/a> in April, it was fully functional. But just three months later, our team member arrived to find the rain tank broken \u2014 and a school in crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We remain in regular (at least quarterly<\/a>!) contact with every community, school, and health center we serve, so it came as a surprise to discover the rain tank had stopped providing water to the school\u2019s students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All we knew was that we needed to fix this situation immediately.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Crisis \u2014 from Junior\u2019s Perspective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without the tank\u2019s regular supply of water, the school\u2019s students were living as they had before the tank\u2019s installation in March 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Junior, a 14-year-old student, was not used to living without water on school grounds. But because the tank\u2019s issue had yet to be reported, he spent a few weeks living out a nightmare that many students whose schools lack access to safe water suffer through every day. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Junior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cWe faced challenges, despite ongoing rainfall, because water was not entering the tank as expected,\u201d Junior explained. \u201cAs a result, we implemented a rationing system for water usage. We felt disappointed and frustrated.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Junior\u2019s frustration is understandable, given the many ways a school needs water to keep functioning. For those few weeks, most of the school\u2019s water needs became the students\u2019 responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents had to bring water from home and from a nearby community spring,\u201d Junior said. \u201cThis was tedious and exhausting for us, especially since we also had to carry our school bags. Balancing a container of water with a school bag made it difficult, causing many students to arrive late and miss morning remedial classes (study\/tutoring periods).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Iyenga’s students carrying water to school from home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cDuring the day, if water was insufficient, we had to go to the partially protected spring to fetch water, and this was a daunting task for us,\u201d Junior shared. \u201cThe partially protected spring overflows with stormwater, making it inaccessible. The water there becomes dirty, and collecting it is time-consuming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One the long path to the protected spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Overcrowding students wait for their turn to fetch water.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis situation affected our routine cleaning schedules,\u201d Junior continued. \u201cWe typically clean classrooms weekly and toilets daily, but limited water availability hindered these efforts. Additionally, our feeding (lunch) program, which relies heavily on water, had to adjust to the restricted supply, impacting the volume of water used in the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a student at Iyenga Primary School during this time was exhausting, frustrating, and demoralizing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

45%<\/a> of schools in sub-Saharan Africa lack even a basic source of water on school grounds. We would never<\/strong> let a school we serve add to that sad number. That\u2019s why we needed to fix the rain tank as soon as we could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What repairs did we make?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur field officer found the rainwater tank completely non-functional, with visible damage to both the piping system and the tap that dispenses water from the tank,\u201d said our Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Resolution, and Learning Allison Gregory. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The guttering system is sagging; this level of damage would prevent water from reaching the gutters’ downspout.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cUpon further inspection during a follow-up Operations & Maintenance visit, a trained technician identified issues with the tank\u2019s guttering system as well. These are all issues that our team routinely addresses, but in combination, they create a significant barrier to water access.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because these are issues our team encounters often, the repairs themselves were straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst, the Operations & Maintenance team repaired the damaged gutters and removed debris that could prevent water from reaching the tank,\u201d Allison explained. \u201cProperly maintained gutters are crucial to ensuring water availability. Since damaged gutters can leak or spill water, even minor damage can mean less water for students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our technician secures the gutter and clears it of debris.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNext, they repaired the pipe and tap system that dispenses water from the tank,\u201d Allison said. \u201cMaintaining this part of the tank ensures that students can access the water in the tank when they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The gutters \u2014 cleaned out and back in working order!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the tank was once again ready to receive rain, our technicians moved on to fixing the issues at the access point. They reinforced the tap itself so that it would be easier for the students to use and last longer. Then, they fixed some structural damage to the access point\u2019s walls with waterproof cement as well as sand and gravel provided by the school administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, the tank was back in working order!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the Repair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At that point, students just needed to wait for the next rainstorm to fill  the tank, which thankfully happened almost immediately. Our team members returned to ensure water was flowing, and to snap a few photos of the repaired tank being used by some grateful students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Girl students collect water from the newly repaired tank.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While our staff was at the school, they also caught up with Junior, who was now doing much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are very excited that our water point has been fully restored and is now operational again!\u201d Junior said. \u201cThis improvement means we no longer need to fetch water from the spring, which previously exposed us to unsafe and contaminated water, posing health risks. With easy access to clean, safe, and reliable water, we can focus better on our studies. I am personally excited, as this will help me work towards my goal of becoming a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Junior carries water from the newly fixed tank.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIf this water point couldn’t be repaired, it would have serious consequences for hygiene and sanitation in the school community,\u201d Junior continued. \u201cUnfortunately, that could increase the risk of waterborne diseases like typhoid<\/a>, dysentery<\/a>, and diarrhea<\/a>. These health challenges would likely lead to many children missing school, which is heartbreaking. Ultimately, this could affect our academic performance and the overall average scores of the school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Junior also shared a sweet message to those who donate to our Water Promise<\/a> program, which helps monitor and maintain water points like Junior\u2019s tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKnowing that people from afar cared enough to donate and help restore our water point to full functionality is heartwarming,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a great example of how kindness and generosity can cross distances and make a real difference in other people\u2019s lives<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir support does not just fix a water point; it transforms lives. It\u2019s about more than just access to clean water \u2014 it’s about health, education, and opportunities. By continuing to support<\/a> communities like ours, they are investing in a brighter future, empowering people to thrive, and creating a lasting impact. Their kindness ripples out, touching generations to come. It\u2019s not just about finishing a project; it\u2019s about building a foundation for long-term change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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A young girl washes her hands using water from the repaired rain tank.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As such an eloquent spokesperson, Junior will make an excellent teacher when the time comes. And thanks to our monitoring and maintenance work<\/a>, he can continue to work toward that dream uninterrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of supporters like you, Junior and his classmates can once again focus on learning instead of carrying water. But there are still countless schools and communities relying on us to keep their water points working day after day, year after year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your gift to our Water Promise program helps ensure quick, reliable repairs whenever something breaks \u2014 before a temporary setback becomes a lasting crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will you join us<\/a> in keeping water flowing for Junior and students like him?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When a school’s rain tank broke, students like Junior were left without safe water. See how quick action turned frustration into hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34448,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,112,199],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-field","category-wash","category-western-kenya"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34448"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246839"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":246890,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246839\/revisions\/246890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}