This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Anna Hankins.
To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to construct a rainwater catchment system at Orinie Primary School.
Anna reports:
I can happily announce that on January 3rd, we completed the installation of a rain catchment system at Orinie Primary School in Kajiado District, Kenya.
On December 14th we travelled to Kajiado town in the AIC Orinie Dispensary vehicle to purchase supplies from a local hardware store (Jojet Steel Enterprises) including gutters, gutter holders, nails, cement, turpentine, tap thread, tap, and iron sheets. We also placed an order for special length PVC metal posts.
All supplies were transported back to Orinie, and the following day a driver retrieved the PVC posts from the hardware store.
On December 18th local craftsmen, together with the school head master began work on the rain catchment system. Using existing tanks, they rigged a system of gutters to harvest rain water.
On December 22nd craftsmen finished initial construction and their work was soon rewarded by heavy rains. Two of the three tanks filled completely, but a third was not receiving water. After the New Year, workers adjusted the gutters to fill the third tank, completing the job on January 3rd.
The heavy rains at the end of the year quickly filled the water tanks, providing the school with an estimated 13,000 liters of water. Teachers are confident that the students will be supplied with water up until the next rains, expected to come in March. We hope that construction of the system will take the school another step closer to building a greenhouse. “We have done good work here,” says one teacher proudly.
When school reopened on January 7th after a long holiday break, students were excessively grateful to be able to use water from the new tanks to clean their classrooms. Having tanks nearby saved them the grueling trip to and from the river to fetch water for cleaning.
We are so incredibly grateful to Water Charity for making this project possible. Water is a simple and yet essential gift and its newfound availability will truly impact the lives of the students who spend their days learning at Orinie Primary School.
We are grateful to Anna for completing this project, and again wish to thank CannedWater4Kids for providing the funding.
