“The water tank will be a major boost to our school. We have had major water problems before”
– Mr. Karisa, Head teacher, Misufini primary school
“We had a shortage of toilets in the school. With the support we are now confident that sanitation in the school will be improved”
– Kadzo, Parent, Dzikunze primary school
Project Aims:
- Water extension lines to 4 primary schools
- Installation of rainwater harvesting systems in 4 schools
- Providing basic operation and maintenance training to School Management Committees (SMCs), including school health training, and water quality monitoring
- Linking trained school staff to community-based water management committees (WMCs) and other administrative bodies to ensure effective coordination, including revenue collection (where relevant)
Water tank at the Misufini Primary School.
Project Achievements
1. Water extensions were initially proposed for four schools, however, two of the primary schools originally proposed had developed connections through community effort prior to the project. Three more primary schools were therefore identified. The schools are in the process of constructing the water extensions.
The schools have obtained Bills of Quantities (BoQs) from skilled labour in the water company – Kilifi and Mariakani Water and Sewerage Company (KIMAWASCO) - and are in the process of trenching to allow laying of the pipes. On completion these will serve a total school population of 795 (410 girls and 385 boys).
2. Eight primary schools constructed and completed latrines. These schools have access to 13 latrines (8 girls and 5 boys) covering a population of 6,398 (3,118 boys and 3,280 girls). Plan supported the schools with the materials for construction and payment for the skilled labour while the school management committees and parents actively participated by digging the pit and supplied water for the construction work.
3. Four primary schools benefited from four water storage tanks and rain water harvesting systems for 16,000 litres to serve a total of 1,404 pupils (718 girls and 686 boys). There has been an increase in the number of children attending school in these schools since the establishment of the systems.
All the schools and communities that benefit from water extensions and support with water tanks will be mobilized for Community led Total Sanitation (CLTS: is an innovative methodology for mobilising communities to completely eliminate open defecation. Communities are facilitated to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation and take their own action to become open defecation free.
The communities will also have School Management Committee trainings on health and management of water systems. The project will also involve the school clubs through Child to Child training and Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST is designed to promote hygiene behaviours, sanitation improvements and community management of water and sanitation facilities using specifically developed participatory techniques). Through the PHAST approach school children will be ambassadors of health in their respective villages.
Girls Latrines at Dzikunze
Project Successes
1. There is reduced distance to water sources which has enabled children to have adequate time to study and play instead of spending that time to look for water. Availability of water in the school will allow the girl child to have enough time for her education rather than go fetch water for the school.
2. There will be improved hygiene practices among pupils in the schools within the project area and the availability of latrines will minimize cases of diarrhoeal diseases among children. The schools now have more latrines for use.
3. There is a positive trend where men have come to appreciate the role women can play in community programs. Women will be major stakeholders in the management committees of the water projects unlike in the past where women could attend meetings and not participate in decision making.
A water extension trench in Mihuhuni Primary School.
Background
Many households in Kilifi District, Kenya rely on untreated water from small earthen dams. In more remote areas, women and children have to travel an average of 5km every day – just to collect water. Limited access to adequate water supplies, combined with open defecation and irregular hand washing at key moments, can negatively impact the health of families. This situation also affects local schools. Insufficient school water supplies makes it harder for children and staff to prepare meals, wash their hands after using the toilet prepare meals, and can limit other activities as well, such as school gardening.
Objectives
School water supply activities form part of a much larger, longer term water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project being implemented by Plan Kenya, key community members and local government partners in Kilifi District. In early 2011, local contractors and community members completed the construction of two major water pipelines which are now supplying 12 remote communities. By April 2012, Plan Kenya, local contractors, district government staff and community members will work together to improve water supply in 16 underserved schools and six special needs units in these and other communities in Kilifi District.
Government staff and community members were directly involved in identifying, planning and designing school water supply activities and will actively participate in project implementation.
Funds raised from the Footprints network will improve access to safe and sustainable water supply for over 6,000 students in 16 schools. Once installed, proximate water supplies will reduce the amount of time teachers and students spend collecting water for school use.
Aims/outputs
The project’s school water supply component will involve four key activities:
Cost
The total cost for providing the water and training to the schools is $33,000. You can help Plan build rainwater harvesting systems which cost AU$20,000 and will help children have access to clean, safe, sustainable water at school. This is an example of the benefit your donation can provide in Plan’s water, sanitation and hygiene project in Kenya.