Location
Butere, Western Province, Kenya
Community Description
Butere is a rural agricultural community located in Western Kenya’s sugar belt. The community is predominantly made up of the Luhya tribe, and most families grow sugarcane and maize as cash crops.
The Shibuche Primary School includes nursery classes as well as standard 1-8 with a population of around 600 students.
Currently, the school does not have access to running water. Students are forced to carry water to school in the morning from a distance of about 1 kilometer. The source is an unprotected spring, with water that is not clean. Water is stored in a small tank and several buckets in a storage room adjacent to the administration’s offices.
The community receives significant rainfall from March-June and August-December every year, making a rainwater catchment tank an ideal form of storage for the school.
Project Description
This project is to build a rainwater harvesting system for the needs of the school.
A 30,000-liter water storage tank will be purchased and installed on the school compound.
The school has worked with a local carpenter to prepare a budget. The school’s deputy officer (vice-principal) will oversee the construction and manage the project, which will be done by local fundi (contractor).
The deputy, Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth Matthew, and her colleague Rosebellah Atsieno, will travel to Mumias town to gather all needed materials for the project, including the tank, and transport them back to the school.
Once materials have been transported the contractor will begin construction of the stand, upon which the tank will be installed.
Gutters will be attached to the tin roof of the school and piping will be run to the tank.
Water Charity funds will be used to purchase the tank, and for the materials, including cement, bricks, sand, gutters, pipe, and a tap. In addition, Water Charity funds will pay for the transport of the materials and the skilled labor.
The school will provide the gravel for the making of the concrete.
Project Impact
Approximately 564 students and 10 staff will benefit from the project.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Elizabeth Matthew
Comments
The project will eliminate the need for students to carry water to school from an unprotected spring, and will provide safe water. Also, the additional water supply will allow the school to expand its tree seedling project.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
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 the Project will be allocated to other projects directed by this PCV and/or projects of other PCVs in this country.
Dollar Amount Needed
$0 – This project has now been fully funded by friends and family of Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth Matthews.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.