Water Changes Everything-by Caroline Kiugo

Today, it’s a day marked to celebrate water and Dig Deep would like to celebrate this day by reflecting on the achievements of the schools we have partnered with in Ndanai, Bomet County.

To those who have access to clean and safe water that think about no more than walking across the room and turning on a tap, that was not the case for thousands of students in Ndanai. They walked six- eight kilometres each day to collect water from unreliable sources– time which could be spent in school.

In the 12 schools we installed Rain Water Harvesting systems in Ndanai, teachers and students recognize that water is a problem for more than 1 billion people and they were part of the affected. Today they recognise water as their hub and recognise the transformational changes they have seen as a result of clean water.

Water is a hub to many students because it has been an entry point to all areas they need to consider to create the future they want. Regular attendance to school, improved education, improved health, clean sanitation and improved hygiene practices.

Every day is a world water day for them.

Caoline inspects a tippy-tap in Ndanai. A simple and hygienic way of dispensing water for cleaning.

One of the Head teachers at Rotik Secondary highlighted that ‘Unclean water and a lack of basic sanitation are undermining efforts to end extreme poverty and disease in our community, water is fundamental to improving the livelihoods and well-being of the poor’. He shared students at his schools have maintained personal cleanliness since they got access to clean water and one-thirds of the students reported with diarrhoea episodes in the school due to unsafe drinking water every week is now to zero.

In a different school the head teacher relayed that the disparity of water and sanitation hygiene-related knowledge, attitude and practices among student’s compared to the past has changed due to access of clean water in their school and the impact of Hygiene education. ‘Positive behaviours and hygiene practices are observed, applied at all times by the students. These positive behaviours are not left at the school gate, they are practised in the community by the students, which has also driven the community to accept such changes’ he added.

A Dig Deep latrine block with a rainwater harvesting system

Millions of children across the world today, access to safe water is still a struggle. Providing better water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in schools reduces hygiene-related diseases and can help claim the 272 million schools days missed every year due to diarrhoea.

In Bomet, where schools and communities have access to clean and safe drinking water represents a small percentage. Thousands of other schools in that area the story is different, the tap stands are not across the other room or next to a kitchen. What would it take to ensure that the thousands of students still losing 272 million school days and six hours have access to clean water? Join Dig Deep fundraising team and let’s start the journey together, to reach that goal. One student at a time.