Project
Bumwende Primary School
Project Complete!
Bumwende Primary School is located in Bumwende community. The area around Bumwende primary is vegetated because most of the people are small scale farmers. The surrounding area is full of homesteads. The school is also near ACK Emaira church, Bumwende Salvation Army, and Elwakana Health Center.
Bumwende Primary School was initiated in 1979 when 3 acres of land were donated by community members. It started with ECD class but now it has grown up to class 8 and it's a center of KCPE exams. The school has produced important members of the community, eg police officers, teachers, church leaders, nurses. The school has grown to over one thousand pupils, has progressed well in academic performance, and in the year 2019, three pupils joined National Secondary Schools.
Bumwende Primary School was initiated in 1979 when 3 acres of land were donated by community members. It started with ECD class but now it has grown up to class 8 and it's a center of KCPE exams. The school has produced important members of the community, eg police officers, teachers, church leaders, nurses. The school has grown to over one thousand pupils, has progressed well in academic performance, and in the year 2019, three pupils joined National Secondary Schools.
With 1077 students to provide for, Bumwende Primary School’s two rain tanks and seasonal hand-dug well do not provide nearly enough water.
The rain tanks are only effective during the rainy season: during the dry season, their water disappears quickly. The hand-dug well is seasonal as well. Sometimes students go to fetch water from the well only to find that there is no water to draw.
“When it dries up, we lack drinking water. Also, there is hostility among the pupils because of the large lines waiting to collect water,” said student, Phelisters A.
The delays affect students’ class time, academic performance, and meals at the school.
“I have to carry my own drinking water in my bag from home daily,” said Head Teacher Robert Indakwa.
The surrounding community members also depend on the same seasonal hand-dug well, which forces the school management to lock it up when school is not in session. This has led to tension between the school and the community.
The hand-dug well is also dangerous for smaller students to use. If they lose their balance while fetching water, they could easily fall in the well’s open top. Sometimes, students forget to close up the well when they’re done drawing up their containers, and they subsequently get sick from drinking the contaminated water. This leads to waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera.
The lack of water also creates unsanitary conditions in the students’ latrines. The school doesn’t have enough water to use for cleaning. Also, because Bumwende doesn’t have enough latrines per student, each latrine is overused, exacerbating the problem.
The rain tanks are only effective during the rainy season: during the dry season, their water disappears quickly. The hand-dug well is seasonal as well. Sometimes students go to fetch water from the well only to find that there is no water to draw.
“When it dries up, we lack drinking water. Also, there is hostility among the pupils because of the large lines waiting to collect water,” said student, Phelisters A.
The delays affect students’ class time, academic performance, and meals at the school.
“I have to carry my own drinking water in my bag from home daily,” said Head Teacher Robert Indakwa.
The surrounding community members also depend on the same seasonal hand-dug well, which forces the school management to lock it up when school is not in session. This has led to tension between the school and the community.
The hand-dug well is also dangerous for smaller students to use. If they lose their balance while fetching water, they could easily fall in the well’s open top. Sometimes, students forget to close up the well when they’re done drawing up their containers, and they subsequently get sick from drinking the contaminated water. This leads to waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera.
The lack of water also creates unsanitary conditions in the students’ latrines. The school doesn’t have enough water to use for cleaning. Also, because Bumwende doesn’t have enough latrines per student, each latrine is overused, exacerbating the problem.
What Your Support Will Do:
New Well
The Water Project (TWP), our implementing partner, conducted a hydrogeological survey at this school, and the results indicated the water table beneath it is an ideal candidate for a borehole well. Due to a borehole well’s unique ability to tap into a safe, year-round water column, it will be poised to serve all of the water needs for this school’s large population, even through the dry months.
The Water Project (TWP), our implementing partner, conducted a hydrogeological survey at this school, and the results indicated the water table beneath it is an ideal candidate for a borehole well. Due to a borehole well’s unique ability to tap into a safe, year-round water column, it will be poised to serve all of the water needs for this school’s large population, even through the dry months.
The school will help collect the needed construction materials such as sand, rocks, and water for mixing cement. They will also provide housing and meals for the work team, in addition to providing local laborers. TWP will complement their materials by providing an expert team of artisans and drilling professionals, tools, hardware, and the hand-pump. Once finished, the school’s students and staff will use water from the well and staff for drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning, and much more.
The school, and TWP, strongly believe that all of these components will work together to improve standards at this school, which will help lead to better student academic performance and unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.
Handwashing Stations
The student health club will oversee the two new handwashing stations TWP will provide and ensure they are kept clean and working. The club leaders will fill the handwashing stations with water daily and make sure they are always supplied with a cleaning agent such as soap or ash.
Handwashing Stations
The student health club will oversee the two new handwashing stations TWP will provide and ensure they are kept clean and working. The club leaders will fill the handwashing stations with water daily and make sure they are always supplied with a cleaning agent such as soap or ash.
VIP Latrines
Two triple-door latrine blocks will be constructed with local materials that the school will help gather. Three doors will serve the girls, and three doors will serve the boys. These new latrines will have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean. And with a rain tank right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.
Two triple-door latrine blocks will be constructed with local materials that the school will help gather. Three doors will serve the girls, and three doors will serve the boys. These new latrines will have cement floors designed to be easy to use and clean. And with a rain tank right on school property, there should be enough water to keep them clean.
Training on Health, Hygiene, COVID-19, and More
TWP will hold a one-day intensive training session with students, teachers, and parents. This training will cover a wide range of topics, including COVID-19 symptoms, transmission routes, prevention; personal and environmental hygiene; and the operation and maintenance of the rain tank, latrines, and handwashing stations. There will be a special emphasis on handwashing.
TWP will hold a one-day intensive training session with students, teachers, and parents. This training will cover a wide range of topics, including COVID-19 symptoms, transmission routes, prevention; personal and environmental hygiene; and the operation and maintenance of the rain tank, latrines, and handwashing stations. There will be a special emphasis on handwashing.
The TWP team of facilitators will use various methods to train, including participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation and asset-based community development. They will initiate a student health club, which will prepare students to lead other pupils into healthy habits at school and home. TWP will also lead lectures, group discussions and provide illustrative handouts to teach health topics and promote good hygiene practices within the school, including handwashing and water treatment. They will then conduct a series of follow-up training before transitioning to our regularly scheduled support visits throughout the year.
0.295608 latitude, 34.49479 longitude
H2O for Life is not a WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) project implementer. We have partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) implementing WASH in Schools projects around the world. Our NGO partners match funds needed for each school project. We also have a generous donor that provides us with an interest-free loan that, along with matching funds, allows for many projects to be started or possibly even completed before total funds have been raised. In rare situations we reserve the right to reallocate funds to alternate project(s).
Questions? Ask us at 651-756-7577 or info@h2oforlifeschools.org.
June 15, 2022
Bumwende completion report
We are excited to share that Bumwende Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new source of safe, clean water thanks to the completion of their new borehole...
