Education Kenya Project #51150

Keep 300 schools in rural Kenya safe from COVID-19

by Brighter Communities Worldwide

Project Report | Oct 29, 2021
Global Handwashing Day October 15th

By Rose Hennessy | Project leader

Londiani Boys Primary School

Thank you so much for supporting this project keeping 300 schools in Kenya safe from Covid-19. Keeping schools safe is more important than ever so that children can stay healthy and stay in school. Having missed out on almost a full year of school last year, their futures depend on this and a clean environment to learn and play in is what they need.

Celebrating Global Handwashing Day on October 15th this year was all the more welcome because the schools were closed for last year’s celebrations. 30 schools planned events bringing the children together to mark the day demonstrating to their peers how to wash their hands properly, learning about tippy tappys and promoting the theme of the day “Our future is at Hand – let’s move forward together”.

A tippy tappy is the solution when you don’t have access to running water. It’s any kind of can or container that can somehow pour water for handwashing. Often the tap is a hole with a stick or a pen in it to stop the water pouring until you pull it out so you can wash your hands. The children learn how to make them at school and then replicate them at home for their families to use. They are a sustainable, effective, hygienic solution. The significance of Global Handwashing Day this year is all the more poignant considering that the pandemic is far from over in Kenya where vaccines are slow to arrive, so far just 4% of the population are fully vaccinated, and the most basic defence against Covid-19 is handwashing.

On November 30th, GlobalGiving is giving away one million dollars to non-profits around the world as part of their #MoveAMillion campaign for #GivingTuesday. Your generosity can help us unlock a greater share of those funds! If you would like to donate to this project again, November 30th is the day to do it so please mark your calendar today!

Think of how much more can be achieved together to ensure that all children have safe and healthy schools environments to grow and learn.

Thank you for your support.

Koru Farm Primary School

Nyairobi Primary School

Benditai Primary School

Tippy Tappy at Nyairobi Primary School

Permalink

Jun 29, 2021
Update on 300 schools in rural Kenya and COVID-19

By Rose Hennessy | Project leader

32,000 litre rain water harvesting tank

As promised, we are delighted to send you an update on the project to keep 300 schools in Kericho county, Kenya safe from COVID-19.

Schools reopened in January for a new academic year having been closed for 10 months of last year. The challenge of access to clean water and adequate sanitation is all the more critical to support with handwashing being the most basic form of defence in the schools against the spread of the virus.

We’re working with 312 schools in total and this project has focused on keeping the schools equipped with soap and water containers so that children and teachers have handwashing facilities available to them.

At the end of May construction of a 32,000 litre water tank was completed at Kedowa River Farm Primary school. Head teacher Mr. Koech humbly extends great gratitude to Brighter Communities Worldwide. He says “School pupils and teachers are now using clean safe water. The challenge we used to face on water supply has been reduced. There is now enough harvested water for hand washing, cooking, drinking, cleaning classrooms and washing utensils among others. Thanks and God bless you from head teachers of Kedowa river farm primary school.”

At Ndubusat Girls Secondary school, construction continues on a 40,000 litre water tank. The tank is made from concrete and as work progresses principal Mrs Lagat sends her thanks.

At the start of June, Ewat Primary school celebrated as their new boys toilet block was commissioned. The toilet block has 8 separate cubicles and the roof is guttered to collect rain water which the boys can harvest from a tank beside the toilet block. The handwashing stations can be topped up with water from there.

At the special ceremony to officially open the toilets, the board of management announced they are ready to help with distribution of soap to vulnerable household in the communities attached to the school.

This comes at a critical time because Kericho county has been put on a 30 day lockdown. Levels of COVID-19 are soaring and 90% of positive cases have the Delta variant. So far schools remain open but we are ensuring that schools and local communities have soap and that the message is reinforced around handwashing and social distancing to prevent transmission.

We will be participating in the GlobalGiving July Bonus Day Match Fund on Wednesday July 14^th. Donations over €80 will be matched from 2pm (Irish time) on that day and the higher the amount donated, the higher the match while funds last.

Thank you for your support.

School children at Kedowa River Farm water tank

New toilet block is opened at Ewat Primary school

Taking delivery of water containers for schools

Taking delivery of 1000 boxes of soap

Construction of 40,000 litre water tank continues

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.