Bringing Safe Water to Kenya’s Schools documents the challenges schools in Sondu, Kenya face in providing clean drinking water for students. Students are responsible for collecting water from home to bring to school each day, but the water is often not treated or purified. While water treatment solutions are available, many schools cannot afford them or do not make them a priority. Providing treated, clean water at schools could help lower students' risk of illness and subsequent absences. However, additional funding is needed to ensure water supplies are consistently safe, storage containers are kept clean, and tap repairs can be made when needed. Committing resources for school water, sanitation, and hygiene programs would help guarantee Kenyan students have access to

1. Bringing Safe Water to Kenya’s Schools

2. Each morning students of Atela Primary School in
Sondu, Kenya are responsible for collecting and bringin
water to school.
Water from home is transferred to larger vessels and
used throughout the day for washing hands and
drinking.

3. Once water has been collected it should
be treated with WaterGuard, a locally
available water purification solution.
However, a majority of schools are
unable to purchase or do not prioritize
water treatment supplies.

4. SWASH+ researchers found the average school expenditure for drinking
and handwashing systems was $58.74 USD in the past year; however,
head teachers estimated $121.32USD was needed to provide necessary
supplies for drinking and handwashing at their school (Gallo, 2012).

5. Students’ risk of illness
and subsequent
absence from school is
lowered if water is
treated and supplied at
school.

6. Water vessel taps frequently break, making water
storage difficult. Funding to repair the taps is very
limited.

7. Keeping the school water containers clean can
also be a struggle, especially without soap or
necessary supplies.

8. At Wagai Primary School students use a scrub pad made from the
plastic fiber of a grain sack to clean water containers.

9. Additional
funding and
commitment
to school
WASH
funding
allocation will
help ensure
safe drinking
water for
Kenyan
students.

10. Treating and
providing
clean
drinking
water at
schools can
help
students
return each
day in good
health.

11. References
Gallo,K., Mwaki,A., Caruso, B., Ochari,I., Freeman, M., Saboori,S., Dreibelbis,
R., Rheingans, R. (2012). ‘ An Evaluation of the Financial Management of
WASH Programs in SWASH+ Primary Schools.’
Photography by CARE/Brendan Bannon. Photo essay by Julie Straw; edited by
Malaika Cheney-Coker.
SWASH+ is a five-year applied research project to identify, develop, and test
innovative approaches to school-based water, sanitation and hygiene in
Nyanza Province, Kenya. The partners that form the SWASH+ consortium
are CARE, Emory University, the Great Lakes University of Kisumu, the
government of Kenya, and the former Kenya Water for Health
Organisation (KWAHO), and Water.org. SWASH+ is funded by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Water Challenge. For more
information, visit www.swashplus.org.