Mr Michael Gichia

: MURERA COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT& SUPPORT ORGANISATION (MCESO)

P.O BOX 163, RUIRU

Niarobi

Central

+254

Kenya

+254 727 021 535

N/A

Proposed

Statement of need It is now known that sustainable hygiene practices can be effectively promoted in communities through a child's environment, especially if safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are provided. Although the importance of water and sanitary facilities for schools is acknowledged, in practice the water and sanitary situation in many schools in Ruiru district is deplorable, and frequently is not safe for children. Many schools suffer from: non-existent, insufficient, or broken water supply, sanitation and hand-washing facilities; toilets and latrines that are not designed to be child friendly and do not function properly. Some latrines are padlocked because children are not trusted to use them properly. Many children, particularly girls, do not attend school because appropriate and private sanitation facilities are lacking. The majority of schools lack water and sanitation facilities resulting in low enrolment of girls and high student absentee rates due to frequent illnesses. Knowledge and practice of personal hygiene among the school-going children in this district is also poor, for example, only 10% of the children in the target schools wash their hands after visiting latrines. The proposed project will target 2 local primary schools as an entry point to provide clean and save drinking water as well as promote sanitation and hygiene behavior of the children, who in turn will communicate new behavior and skills to their homes and the broader communities surrounding the schools. The project will provide equipments and facilities that children needs for sanitation, hand-washing, and water supply, programs supporting children to develop skills, attitudes, and knowledge of effective hygiene, and it will build the capacity of school management committees to implement school sanitation programs. A primary school is a “centre par excellence” where future adults should learn about basic practical knowledge, like on safe water, health, sanitation, etc. In general it is very worthwhile to invest in hardware like latrines and water facilities and educate the children in awareness on the need for hygiene the importance of water for health. The project will have three components, which are mutually supportive as follows: Component 1:Construction of Sanitary and Water Supply Facilities: This includes construction of school latrines (latrines and urinal for boys), improvement of water supply systems based on existing and available facilities (tank, taps and hand washing platform) in 2 school and their catchment areas. Component 2: Capacity Building and Project Management: This includes training and technical support for children’s clubs and school management committees .This will ensure that they are able to adequately plan, manage, implement, monitor, evaluate, and supervise the activities. Component 3: Health and Hygiene Programs: This will support campaigns to promote hygiene including the use of latrines and hand-washing facilities for children’s clubs. Project Justifications -Non of the target schools have rain water harvesting facilities to facilitate harvesting of clean rain water for drinking -A significant number of toilets are in disrepair and not in use. -There are long queues at toilet facilities during the class breaks -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 goal The goal is to provide portable safe drinking water and sanitary facilities in selected schools and their catchment areas in Ruiru district Project objectives -Increase access to safe water and sanitation in the 2 primary schools in Ruiru district -Strengthen capacity of local schools to maintain clean water sources for children -Enhance knowledge of (WASH) Water and Sanitation Hygiene education in local primary schools in Ruiru district -To develop these schools as outstanding example schools in the long term.

Under $25k

Proposed Activities 1) Procure 400 water harvesting gutters, 250 x 15 fts fisher boards for electing gutters on the roofs. Procure 25 iron sheets for roofing sanitary block of one primary, and 4 x 50,000 litres of water tanks for facilitating in rain water harvesting at each of the target schools, providing a safe water supply for school-going children during the school day. Currently, the 2 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. Rainwater harvesting systems will be installed consisting of roof plates, rainwater gutters, and a low cost storage tanks in each of the target schools. 2)Procure building materials for construction of latrine units for 2 schools using locally available materials at Thome primary and Kibii primary School, ensuring that children are empowered to adhere to class times and upholds professional standards, as well as their dignity. 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 in each school. 3) Installation of 2 hand wash stations at each school, sited appropriately near latrine blocks to facilitate good hygiene behaviors. 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 their personal health. 4) Organizing hygiene education in 2 primary schools in Ruiru district. Raising the awareness and promoting key hygiene messages and practices. This will include practicing hand washing at critical times, such as after using a latrine or before cooking, and best practice in using a latrine. Hygiene education will be carried out in schools to maximize the spread of these messages and safe practices across the school children. Target beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries of this project are 1,440 school going children from the 2 target school in Ruiru district Expected Outcomes -By the end of the project (12 months), 2 public primary schools shall serve as role models in Ruiru district in providing clean and safer water, sanitation facilities and capacity building for school going children 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 -An improvement in the enrollment and completion rates of the both the vulnerable boy and girl child in primary school. -An improvement in the hygiene, sanitation and essential learning as well as life skills of the pupils in the target schools -2 children’s clubs will be formed and their capacity will be enhanced to improve health and hygiene practices in the community. -Existence of health and hygiene sanitation lessons in schools -Availability of storage tanks and hand wash taps for school children -A percentage reduction in water shortages in the target schools and therefore more time for learning. Target benchmarks -At least 2 primary schools in Ruiru district will have safe sanitation and drinking water facilities. -At least 1,440 children aged 5-15 years in 2 schools will have improved hygiene and sanitation behavior, such as use and regular maintenance of latrines, and practice hand washing with soap. -1,440 children will know about risks due to unsafe water and sanitary to their health and how to avoid these risks, and have passed on this knowledge to their families. -Safe sanitation and hygiene practices will reach and benefit children’s families and community. Long term impacts -Improvement in water and sanitation availability -Reduced incidences of diarrheal and other water-born diseases -Decrease in open defecation -Increases in school attendance, particularly young adolescent girls Measurable Performance Indicators -School Management Committees capable of operating and maintaining safe water supply and sanitation facilities at schools -Number of school-based water supply and sanitation facilities established and are functional Increase in the use of latrine, particularly by girl child -Health and hygiene programs implemented through each children’s health club Project Sustainability To ensure the sustainability and proper maintenance of these improvements, the project will support the development and promotion of health clubs within the 2 targeted schools. These clubs will be comprised of children members with an appropriate gender balance, and facilitated by a teacher advisor. In addition to providing leadership to the children 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 children members. By investing in these children 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.

We need fundraisers to help us arise funds for the proposed project.We also welcome donations for individual donors willing to support our project