Water Blogged

We are excited to share that Cheptuli Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new safe water source thanks to the completion of their borehole well! Students and staff are already using the well’s flowing water, which will provide them with a reliable water source for all of their daily needs.

We also installed new latrines and handwashing stations and trained students and staff on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives. Here is the completion report provided by our implementing partner, The Water Project.

“Previously, I’ve had to carry water from home or be sent by my teachers to fetch [it] from the neighborhood. A lot of times, some of the neighbors wouldn’t allow anyone to collect water from their wells, which meant I had to walk long distances in search of the same. I would also soil my clothes in the process, and that affected my self-esteem whenever I went to class in [a] dirty uniform. Now that we have a new water point, I’m certain I will have an easy time at school, and my hygiene standards will improve,” said 14-year-old Margaret.

“With water now available at school, time wastage will no longer be an issue. I will have enough time for studies, and this will definitely have a positive impact on my performance,” continued Margaret.

Teachers were just as excited as the students about the new well on campus.

“Initially, I had to send students out of school to go and fetch water or bring from home. This is because our old waterpoint would dry up, leaving us with the [only] option of collecting it from other sources. Initially, we had many instances of absenteeism, but now that we have a clean and reliable water source, this will be eradicated. Water-related illnesses will now be forgotten! Consequently, my student’s performance in class will improve since they won’t have to worry about being sent out to fetch water during school hours or getting sick due to contaminated water,” shared teacher Esther Shabaya, 44.

How We Got the Water Flowing
Parents, staff, and students all contributed to this well’s success. After determining the best site for the well through a hydrogeological survey, we obtained approval and a license from the government to begin drilling.

To prepare, the school collected fine sand and water for cement-making. When everything was ready, our drill team and staff arrived at the school to begin work.

Drilling commenced with excitement in the air. The team drove down a temporary casing to keep the walls from collapsing as the rig progressed. We continued drilling to reach a final depth of 80 meters with a final static water level of 2.5 meters.

The drilling process can take up to three consecutive days to complete due to this region’s hard bedrock, so the drill team set up a camp where they could rest and refuel. The school’s kitchen staff and parents helped provide meals for the team, while the school provided a safe place for the artisans’ accommodations and materials.

Once we reached the required depth, the team replaced the temporary casing with a permanent version and then bailed out the dirty water at the bottom of the well. The workers installed pipes, flushed them, tested the well’s yield, and chlorinated the water.

After water treatment, we constructed a cement well pad to seal off the well from any ground-level contaminants. Tiles are installed beneath the spout to protect the cement from the erosive force of the water.

We also included a short drainage channel to carry spilled water away from the pump and prevent standing water. At the end of the drainage channel, a soak pit absorbs runoff, further eliminating stagnant water.

When the well pad was dry, we installed a new stainless steel AfriDev handpump and sampled the water for a quality test. The results showed this water was safe for drinking!

We officially handed over the new borehole to the school’s students and teachers.

Students and staff celebrated the presence of clean water on campus. The event was an excellent chance to acknowledge the school administration and students as the primary parties entrusted with the tools we have given and remind them of our continued support as they develop. Happiness, thanksgiving, and appreciation were the order of the day, flowing in all directions.

VIP Latrines
This project funded the installation of six new ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines. These new latrines have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean, locking doors for safety and privacy, and vents to keep air flowing up and out through the roof. With a well right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.

We set up two handwashing stations outside the latrines and handed them over to the newly formed student health club. Health club members will teach other students how to wash their hands at the stations properly, fill the stations with water, and ensure that there is always a cleaning agent available.

We scheduled hygiene and sanitation training with the school’s staff, who ensured that the training date would be convenient for pupils and teachers. When the training day arrived, facilitators Daniel Mutuku and Waswa Evans deployed to the site to lead the event. Thirty-two students and teachers attended the training.

We focused on personal, menstrual, oral, and environmental hygiene; proper water handling; soap-making and the ten steps of handwashing; the importance of primary health care, the prevention of teen pregnancy and COVID-19; child rights; the operation and maintenance of the pump, well, latrines, and handwashing stations; and leadership and governance. During the latter, the students elected their peers to lead their newly formed student health club.

The student health club members will encourage good health and hygiene practices amongst their peers, teachers, and the larger community. By the end of the training, each pupil understood their role in sustaining clean water and good health within their school community.

“A number of topics elicited interesting discussions. However, environmental hygiene stood out because we had several illustrations to ensure the students understood their role in protecting their surroundings. Participants engaged each other through the sketches depicting how the environment can easily get contaminated via poor handling of waste, especially fecal matter,” shared Field Officer Daniel Mwanzia.

“There is no doubt the students were eager to receive this training. Despite the fact that schools had closed, the participants arrived early, cleaned up the venue, and arranged seats. Some of the teachers traveled more than five kilometers and seamlessly coordinated everything. Students were ready to participate and answered questions as required,” said Daniel.

“This training has been an eye-opener for me. I realized that it is very easy for the environment around me to be contaminated and lead to diseases. After this training, I can now dispose [of] waste safely and protect water sources as required. From now on, I’m going to be cleaner and healthier than before,” shared 13-year-old Rodah.