February 15, 2011 Summary of Project Plan and Budget

Kenya Schools WASH program, Mtito Andei, Kenya

Lifewater International is working in partnership with a Kenyan in-country partner near the rural town of Mtito Andei situated half-way between Nairobi and Mombasa on the western border of Tsavo National Park (Fig. 1). The region is technically designated as Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), a designation which helps governments prioritize areas of water scarcity for water development to meet human needs. Lifewater is working together with World Vision on a two-year comprehensive water, sanitation and hygiene program to bring safe drinking water, health and hygiene education, and clean sanitation facilities to students at 10 primary schools in the Mtito Andei project area. Lifewater’s project goals include:

• Construct safe drinking water sources for students and teachers at 10 primary schools.

• Build 100 safe, private latrines at 10 primary schools.

• Train 20 school teachers using Lifewater’s curriculum entitled, WASH in Schools: 10 Building Blocks to Better Health, a children’s health curriculum tailored to African audiences. Teachers will be supported to teach primary school students through after school health clubs.

• Support the knowledge children gain in school by training 20 adults from communities surrounding the schools using Lifewater’s Community Health through Hygiene materials, an adult learning program focusing on hand washing, safe water storage and effective sanitation practices.

• Kitchen gardens will be planted and watered at 10 schools to support a new school lunch program.

• Tree nursery projects will be started near each water point to support reforestation efforts.

Fig 1. Map of Kenya and Tsavo Park  

Activities to Date

Lifewater’s implementing partner conducted a baseline survey in late 2010, collecting relevant data to provide information on existing environmental conditions. Baseline data help informs the design of the implementation strategy for a successful WASH program. A list of the 10 primary schools in the project area is presented in Table 1.

Table 1. List of recipient schools

No. Name of school Population Location No. of

teachers

1 Mbeetwani Primary School 436 Mtito Andei 15

2 Kyusyani Primary School 400 Mtito Andei 7

3 Kilumilo Primary School 388 Kambu 8

4 Yindundu Primary School 452 Kambu 12

5 Misuuni Primary School 378 Kambu 11

6 Kathekani Primary School 460 Kathekani 14

7 Kathekani Primary School 430 Kathekani 11

8 Misani Primary School 87 Nthunguni 7

9 Nzambani Primary School 356 Nzambani 15

10 Ngwata Primary School 480 Ngwata 15

Statistics from the baseline survey describe the schools in the project area. The circumstances facing primary aged school children in Mtito Andei is alarming. The following data is derived from schools that provide water for the students.

• 30 % of schools cannot provide water for pupils for any purpose.

• Water is available for pupils for an average of only 5.3 months during the school year.

• 80% of the schools that do provide water report never treating drinking water.

• 60% of schools have an active health club but only 12.5% of those have received lessons about water, sanitation or hygiene.

• None of the schools have garbage or waste collection systems. A typical classroom in the Mtito Andei project area

 

• None of the schools reported to ever providing soap or ash to pupils for hand cleansing purposes.

• Only 39.2% of latrines provided for girls have adequate privacy.

• 30% of schools do have budgets specifically for the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) program.

In January and February 2011, Lifewater sent two staff members and three volunteer field trainers to Mtito Andei to conduct WASH in Schools: 10 Building Blocks to Better Health. Twenty schools teachers were trained along with local government workers and World Vision project staff. A report on the training will be sent in the next project update.

Future Activities

Providing water to the 10 schools will be accomplished either by building water tanks to store water piped to the site from reservoirs or by drilling. The local geologic conditions and lack of rainfall require geophysical surveys in order to locate ideal drilling locations. Surveys have begun in collaboration with the local government Ministry of Water officers. Well drilling is scheduled to take place from April to December of 2011.

In June, Lifewater will host a training workshop in community development principles to be followed by the Community Health through Hygiene workshop targeting local community leaders and partner staff. Two additional health and hygiene workshops will follow in October 2011 and spring 2012.

 

One of the teacher’s latrines at a primary school in the project area.