Masungutsa Primary School, Western Kenya

Finding sufficient water to meet the daily water needs of the 415 students and 17 teachers at Masungutsa Primary School is a constant struggle. And no matter how hard students work to collect water, the water they bring from home or draw from different sources is making everyone ill.

Waterborne diseases, including diarrhea and typhoid, have affect many of the students, leading to high absenteeism and a decline in academic performance.

The school compound has a 3,000-liter plastic rainwater harvesting tank, but the little it collects quickly runs dry. When the water students bring from home, and the rain tank empties, pupils are forced to leave the school campus to find more.

"We have suffered for many years without water. Sometimes I have a lot of work to do, and you are told to go and look for water. It makes us not perform well in our classwork," said 15-year-old student, Michelle M.

There is a hand-dug well at a neighbor's compound just opposite the school where students are allowed to draw water, but only for an hour on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, so the small amount they collect doesn't make significant progress towards supplying the water they need.

"Water is life, [and] without water, things will not move. Pupils are forced to come out of classes to go and look for water, which interferes with the lessons," said 52-year-old headteacher Donald Sanya.

The good news is that a hydrogeological survey revealed the water table beneath this school makes it an ideal site for a borehole well. With your support, we can help get the borehole and a handpump installed to meet all of the water needs for this school community-- drinking, handwashing, cooking, cleaning-- even through the dry months.

Oratory Prep: Masungutsa Primary School