Location
Oriang’, Rachuonyo South District, Nyanza Province, Kenya
Community Description
St. Paul’s Oriang’ Mixed Secondary School is a small public school in the rural village of Oriang’ in Western Kenya. The school was opened in 2010 as a community initiative to serve local students, many of whom cannot afford to attend other, more established local schools. There are currently about 200 students and 10 staff members at the school.
The larger Oriang’ community consists of about 6,000 people, most of whom rely on small-scale subsistence agriculture. Almost all community
members live on less than a dollar a day. Additionally, the community has been largely impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Community members have struggled to gather the resources needed to develop the school. In December 2012, the community managed to complete construction on the school’s first permanent structure, a block of three classrooms. Much more development is needed at the school.
Currently, the secondary school relies on a well on the adjacent primary school grounds for all of its water. The water is used for drinking, cooking, student and staff lunches, and for some cleaning.
Unfortunately, during the dry seasons (Jan-April and August-Sept) the primary school well runs dry, forcing the secondary school to purchase all of its water. The purchased water typically comes from a small local river that isn’t a clean source of water.
During the rainy seasons, however, the area gets a fair amount of precipitation, so a rainwater catchment is an ideal solution to the water insecurity issues at the school.
Project Description
This project is to install a rainwater catchment system at St. Paul’s Oriang’ Mixed Secondary School.
The system will consist of gutters along one side of the roof of the classroom block that drains into a 5,000 Liter water tank. The building is 60 feet long, with a corrugated metal roof.
The tank will rest on a brick platform and water will be drained from a tap installed at the bottom of the tank.
Materials will be purchased from a hardware store in nearby Oyugis town and delivered to the school. Local workmen will build the brick base, then install the gutters, place the tank and connect the gutters to the tank.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase the tank and materials, including the PVC gutters and down pipe.
The school already has materials that can be used for the base of the tank (brick, concrete, mortar, and stones). Additionally, the community will purchase any other necessary materials (including gutter clips, an elbow gutter piece, an outlet gutter piece, a tap, sealant and an end piece for the gutter) and will provide all labor needed to install the water system.
Project Impact
This project will directly benefit 200 secondary school students and 10 secondary school staff. In addition, it will indirectly benefit 900 primary school students and 15 primary school staff.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Meredith Robinson
Comments
This project will meet a critical need at St.Paul’s Oriang’ Mixed Secondary School by providing a clean and reliable water source for the students and staff. It will also relieve the primary school from the burden of providing the water used by the secondary school.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$300.00
ADOPT THIS PROJECT BY CONTRIBUTING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED BELOW
Donations of any amount will be appreciated. The full amount will give you “naming rights”, if that is something you would like.
Any contributions in excess of the Dollar Amount of Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.
Dollar Amount Needed
$255.00
