Project details

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:

•  Installing feeder lines to 4 schools

• Constructing rainwater harvesting systems in 12 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).

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.