Project

Mali Mali Primary School

Kenya 744 beneficiaries Kakamega County, Weste...

Project Complete!

Mali Mali Primary School is located in Kakamega County, Kenya. It was established in 1970 by the Catholic Church as a nursery school. In 1975 it became a government-run primary school.

The area near the school is busy with motorbike taxis and farms of maize, bananas, sweet potatoes, and sugarcane. Indigenous trees surround the school.
Pupils wake up very early to go and look for water to carry to school from different unclean springs that are risky for human consumption. Waterborne diseases, like diarrhea and typhoid, have really affected the students terribly, leading to absenteeism. They also spend a lot of time looking for water rather than being in class which has resulted in poor academic performance at school.

There are 744 people in need of a clean water solution in this area. “The situation of water has really affected us because sometimes we are told to go and look for water during class time. It has affected our academic performance,” said Christabel, a 13-year-old female student.
What Your Support Will Do:

New Well
We 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. We will complement their materials by providing an expert team of artisans and drilling professionals, tools, hardware, and the hand-pump. Once finished, water from the well will then be used by the school’s students and staff for drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning, and much more.

We and the school 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 will help unlock the opportunity for these students to live better, healthier lives.

Handwashing Stations
There is currently nowhere for students to wash their hands after using the latrines or before eating lunch, let alone the water to do so.

The student health club will oversee the two new handwashing stations we will provide, and make sure they are kept clean and in working condition. 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. All of these new latrines will have cement floors that are designed to be easy to use and to 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
We 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, and 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.

Our team of facilitators will use a variety of methods to train, including participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation, and asset-based community development. We will initiate a student health club, which will prepare students to lead other pupils into healthy habits at school and at home. We will also lead lectures, group discussions, and provide illustrative handouts to teach health topics and ways to promote good hygiene practices within the school including handwashing and water treatment. We will then conduct a series of follow-up trainings before transitioning to our regularly scheduled support visits throughout the year.
0.356515 latitude, 34.820161 longitude

Project Sponsors

June 15, 2022

Mali Mali completion report

We are excited to share that Mali Mali Primary School in Kenya now has access to a new source of safe, clean water thanks to the completion of their new...

Read more ›