Project Location: Kenya
Project Code: CP KMM0423A
Our Mikinduri sponsor site is in the rural settlement of the same name in Kenya’s eastern region. Chalice has partnered with the St. Jude Catholic Sponsorship Program to run our sponsorship program here since 2008. Families in the community are small-scale farmers.
Every day, 343 students (268 sponsored) attend Akaiga Primary School, along with 14 teachers and three support staff. Akaiga shares its five-acre property with the church, and two of those acres are used for farming.
Akaiga Primary is not connected to any water source and relies on rainfall. Washing, drinking, cooking, and irrigating their farm all depend on harvesting water during the rainy season. But Akaiga is located in a semi-arid region and has been in a constant drought for two years, which is severely impacting the health of both humans and animals.
Akaiga Primary faces critical water shortages. During the dry season, the tanks run dry. When there’s no water at school, children must search for it and then carry it with them. This task falls disproportionately to girls and women, taking them away from their studies or livelihoods.
The water they are drinking isn’t safe, and the school isn’t able to keep facilities sanitary. Children cannot wash their hands properly. As a result, the teachers are seeing a steep rise in absenteeism because the children are sick with waterborne illnesses such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid. These diseases can be recurrent and require costly medication. The children’s health suffers, as do their grades, and their parents struggle to afford the necessary medicine.
In response, the Mikinduri sponsor site and Chalice are partnering with the school to drill a 130m - 160 m deep borehole well in the Akaiga school compound.
The borehole will provide access to clean and safe drinking water to over 1000 community members including 343 children in school, 17 members of staff and parents of the school. The solar-powered pump will pipe water to multiple taps and access points on the school property for all its various uses. The borehole will also provide water to households and farms in the community, which will improve crop health, livelihood, and food security.
The site staff will also conduct training with the students on health and hygiene subjects, such as handwashing, dental hygiene, and proper use of the latrine facilities.
The total budget for this 12-month project is $53,555.88 CAD. This encompasses the borehole drilling and casing, installations, water quality testing, water tanks, and fittings. The Meru Diocese and community of St Jude will contribute approximately $5,056.49 CAD. The school will contribute the land and will be responsible for ongoing management, security, and future maintenance costs.
Your support will create a sustainable supply of clean water for 1199 children and their families in the Akaiga community. Through this, it will improve the children’s health and hygiene, reduce absenteeism and illness, and increase food security.
Budget in Canadian Funds: $53,555.88 CAD.
Please note that any donations that exceed the request will be used to fund other community projects that may arise.
