By George Yap, Program Director
In 2003, WaterCan began working with the local NGO Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO) to provide water supply and sanitation services to poor communities in rural areas of Siaya District in Western Kenya. Central to these efforts was assisting local primary schools. In early 2006, I had the opportunity to revisit one of the schools, Uthanya Primary School, to see how things were progressing. Upon arriving, I was warmly greeted by Head Teacher Paul Okelo, whom I had met two years earlier. Established by the local community in 1973, this modest school has eight mud-walled classrooms and currently has over 300 pupils taught by seven dedicated teachers.
Students in front of the 40,000-litre rainwater tank
As we toured the school, Mr. Okelo explained that the development of water and sanitation facilities has improved tremendously the learning environment. Previously, the school had only two run-down latrines for boys and girls. As a result, pupils wasted a good part of their school day queuing to use them. The older pupils often chose to use the surrounding bush, upsetting the school’s neighbours. The construction of four new ventilated pit latrines has greatly improved the situation.
Water was also a big challenge facing the school. Previously, pupils and teachers had to draw water from a polluted stream about two kilometers away, taking precious time and energy from learning and teaching. With the construction of a new 40,000-litre rainwater tank, this is no longer necessary. I learned that even during the prolonged drought that affected the region in late 2005, careful management of water usage ensured the school’s rainwater tank never ran dry. The formation of a school health club has also helped to promote among pupils good hygiene practices such as washing hands after using the latrines.
School performance has increased significantly
Mr. Okelo believes that the water supply and sanitation facilities installed 18 months ago have greatly helped improve the academic performance of Uthanya’s pupils. In his modest dirt floor office, the head teacher proudly showed me the school’s official performance ranking in the annual district examinations, which improved from 218th to 196th. This is an especially impressive achievement considering Uthanya’s large class sizes, and the fact that even the most basic school supplies such as paper and pencils are often in short supply. Mr. Okelo added that with these improvements the students’ parents and the general community are more keen to support the school because they now see how doing so will help their children gain the skills for a better future.
