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All amounts are in US$
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Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for 5 primary schools in Ruiru district of Kenya .
(last update 2010-08-02 05:21:38)
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| Description |
Murera Community Empowerment & Support Organization aims at contributing to improving the water and sanitation situation in primary schools in Kenya particularly schools in Ruiru District of central Province. The overall objective of this initiative is to enhance the learning environment for the pupils especially the girl child who are hard hit due to lack of an enabling school environment. The poor quality of education in this district is partly attributed to poor sanitation within the schools that contribute to absenteeism either as a result of water and sanitation related diseases and lack of privacy on the part of girls. Statistics from some the schools show that the drop out rate has gone as high as 26.5% per year. The unprecedented influx of children into primary schools arising from the bold move by the Kenyan government to implement the free primary education compounded the water and sanitation situation in schools. Many of the schools in Ruiru district do not have access to safe water or adequate sanitation and the available sanitation facilities are not adequately enough to serve the children. The government is still unable to provide funds for the construction of proper sanitation and hygiene facilities. The school administrations have been met with the difficulty of overstretching the sanitation and hygiene facilities to high enrolment rate.
In addition to the obvious serious health consequences, the lack of safe water poses particularly difficult challenges for many children in these schools. For example, at Thome Primary School 14 female teachers and 8 male teachers share 4 latrine while more than 720 children both boys and girls students share a mere 6 latrines. This is a staggering 120 students per latrine, more than 5 times the Kenyan Government standard of 25 students per latrine. Severe diseases are associated with a lack of water and poor sanitation, including diarrhea, dehydration, trachoma, dysentery, and skin infections. These same diseases are responsible for the deaths of thousands of impoverished children each year in many parts of the country. The economic consequences of these diseases and deaths are a ripple effect. Women are forced to take care of the sick children instead of attending to the fields, leading to poor diets and reduced income. Adolescent girls generally avoid school during their menstrual periods or when they are ill, leading to high absenteeism and low educational attainment. All of these factors conspire only to deepen poverty in the target areas.
This program will cover 5 schools at the end of 8 months. Each project (5 schools) supports the construction of 4 toilets apiece for girls and 4 for boys in each school. The criterion of selection of these schools has been based on the level of need. In addition the project will carry out hygiene promotion activities geared at engendering behaviour change on water and sanitation hygiene in the interest of maximizing on benefits from water and sanitation facilities. MCESO aims at solving the problems by providing toilets, wash rooms, safe water, and capacity building on safety and hygiene for the affected children in Ruiru district.
PROJECT JUSTIFICATIONS
There is an average of 70 to 400 school children per one functional toilet compared to the recommended 1:25 for girls and 1:30 for boys with urinals.
A significant number of toilets are in disrepair and not in use.
There are long queues at toilet facilities during the class break
In some schools, existing latrines are already full.
Most schools have toilets, with risks of subsiding
No school has got the hand washing facility.
Lack of privacy for girls at all pit latrines and they were exposed to passers-by on feeder roads
The toilet facilities are dirty and unhygienic and thus very risky environment.
PROJECT NEEDS
MCESO is appealing for donations from international to local foundations to be able to implement the proposed project of installing water tanks at each of the 5 schools, providing a safe water supply for students during the school days. Currently, the five targeted schools are plagued by unreliable and often completely unavailable safe water supplies which are not adequate for both drinking and washing of classrooms and toilets; this forces children to bring more water from home, exacerbating an already critical water situation in surrounding communities. Construct an appropriate number of student latrines for students at each school. This number is determined by commonly held minimum standards based on gender. The project will target a ratio of 25 girls per door and 30 boys per door, plus one urinal facility.
The donations will on the other hand facilitate construction of latrines for school children as well as for teachers at the five targeted Schools, ensuring that teachers and their pupils are empowered to adhere to good hygiene and uphold professional standards, as well as their dignity. We will on the other hand install hand wash stations at each of the schools, sited appropriately near latrine blocks to facilitate good hygiene behaviors to the children. The project-supported student WASH clubs will be responsible for conveying to their schoolmates the importance of hand washing at critical times and its relevance to community and personal health.
To ensure the sustainability and proper maintenance of these improvements, the project will support the development and promotion of health clubs within the 5 targeted schools. These clubs will be comprised of student members with an appropriate gender balance, and facilitated by a teacher advisor. In addition to providing leadership to the student body and input to school directors on the management and maintenance of the latrines and water supply, student WASH clubs will also provide a valuable investment in their student members. By investing in these students to become agents of change, both in their schools and in their communities, the project sends an important message to them that they are valuable members of society.
PROJECT TIME FRAME
This project is expected to start on January 2011 and it will be completed on August 2011 if we are able to raise the funds on time.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
-By the end of the project (8 months), 5 public primary schools shall serve as role models in Ruiru district in providing clean and safer water, girls’ sanitation facilities and capacity building for young but sexually maturing girls.
-There will be a reduction of diseases associated with drinking dirty water and observing unclean hygienic behaviour among the school children
-Absenteeism, drop-outs for girls are expected to reduce considerably.
-The community and educational administration in the area is expected to appreciate and adopt the similar approaches in other schools so as to spread the services and facilities to benefit wider society;
-Existence of health and hygiene sanitation lessons in schools
-Availability of storage tanks and hand wash tap
-There will be sufficient and functioning toilets with doors for privacy
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
For a healthy school environment, in each school a joint assessment on the existing water and sanitation conditions will be made with the school director and teachers, as well as with the school children, primary health care staff and representatives of the Parents and Teachers Associations. Parents and teachers associations will be involved in all stages of the implementation of the program. It is also important to note that working with Children on basic hygiene and sanitation is very important because;
-Most children are eager to learn. Schools can stimulate and support positive behavioral change in children.
-Children have important roles in household chores related to hygiene.
-Children may question existing practices in the household and become agents of change within their families and communities.
-Children are future parents. What they learn at school is likely to be passed on their own children.
PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATIONS
Monitoring will be undertaken as frequently as needed. Evaluation will be undertaken monthly to assess the effectiveness and impact of activities undertaken in the course of the project and to use the results to improve its effectiveness. Data will be collected on all activities conducted and interviews with various stakeholders involved in the project about how well the project is bridging the gap by providing information and services to the children and the communities.
PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Initial program ownership rests with school leaders in collaboration with school WASH clubs. Future success will be achieved through expanded hygiene training and materials, which will be integrated into the school curriculum. Drawing these linkages will help students and their families understand the importance of hand washing at critical times, good sanitation practices, keeping water safe with regard to health and well being. In addition to this project, other initiatives will allow continued engagement in these schools.
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| Budget |
52,000 |
Still needed |
51,150 |
| Category |
Rainwater Harvesting
Building Latrines
Training
Community Development
Personal Hygiene |
| Organizing District |
Ruiru |
Organizing Club |
Murera Community Empowerment & Support Organisation |
| Country |
Kenya, central |
| Status |
This project is at the binnary stage.We are looking for donors who can contribute towards this project |
| Contact Information |
| Project Director |
Michael Gichia |
| Club/District |
Ruiru |
| E-mail |
mceso@yahoo.com |
| Phone |
+254 727 021 535 |
| FAX |
N/A |
| Donation Information |
| Local Organizer |
850 |
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