Just a Drop: Hayes & Jarvis supports Kenya

Hayes and Jarvis are pleased to confirm our latest project with Just a Drop, to build a water tank at a primary school in Kenya. This is our seventh Just a Drop project and our third in Kenya. The project will start in May 2016 with completion due in early summer, using the skills of the local community for the build.

Ngomano DEB Primary School Water Tank, Kenya

Ngomano DEB Primary School is attended by 371 pupils, and is comprised of 179 boys and 178 girls. The school is in a typically arid and rural area where there is very limited access to a regular or fresh water supply.

Following the success of the last water tank project which we supported in Kenya, we were keen to be involved in a similar one.  We are very proud of our involvement and salute Just a Drop for all that they do. If you’d like to hear more about our previous project, please take a look at our blog, and watch our video to see first-hand what it has meant to the children at Miangeni Secondary School to finally have access to clean water.

The children at Ngomano DEB Primary school are asked to bring water with them to school every single day.  This is not an easy task for them as the nearest available source of water is an hour’s walk away and is neither safe nor clean. Obviously this has a major impact on the lives of these children.

Access to fresh, safe water is something we take for granted, but for many people around the world, this is simply not the case.

Did you know?

• Unsafe water causes diseases, leading to high rates of children missing school
• Valuable school time is missed while the pupils fetch the water
• Hygiene is poor, as water is unavailable for simple things like handwashing
• Collecting the water can be dangerous, with threat of attack from animals and people

There’s a fairly easy solution to this problem, which Just a Drop — with support of partners like Africa Sand Dam Foundation and the local community — has perfected and it is a very sustainable one too.  Quite simply, the plan is to build a water tank for the school which will provide access to clean water, all year round, that is safe to drink. The tank will collect water from the roof of the school during Kenya’s two rainy seasons, and then there will be the provision of improved sanitation and hygiene education about how best to use the water and keep the tank safe.

It’s impossible to stress what a profound difference this will make to the school and the general community. If you’ve read our previous blogs about similar projects you will know that where water tanks have been constructed, we now see a school that is prospering, with well educated, bright students and their amazingly determined teachers.

What are the benefits of the school water tank?

• Healthier children who no longer have to drink unclean and unsafe water
• More time spent at school as children will be healthier
• Improved attendance as they won’t have to travel long distances to collect water
• Improved sanitation and hygiene at the school
• Children will be able to concentrate better on their lessons, as they are hydrated and fed

What does the future look like?

The tank will be built to last for a minimum of 30 years, so the project doesn’t just benefit the pupils who are there now, but many more well into the future. And Just a Drop’s commitment doesn’t just end once the tank is built; they will continue to monitor the project for seven years to ensure the full impact is achieved.

We will bring you more information, in the form of images and videos on this project once work has started. Stay engaged and keep a look out for our updates where we will share stories from various individuals reporting on the work as it progresses.

Just a Drop founder and chairwoman, Fiona Jeffrey OBE said: “We want to thank Hayes and Jarvis for their support on this project and the incredible support they have given the charity and so many people over the years. This tank will make a profound difference to the school community and will make an enormous difference to the difficult conditions they face every day”.

Just a Drop is a charity that raises money to build wells, install hand pumps, and carry out health and sanitation programmes to give people clean, accessible water. Find out more at www.justadrop.org.