Stories

Water Means Education

Shisesia primary school is located in Iguhu, in the western region of Kenya. It serves 535 students and teachers. Before Lifeplus Foundation funded the building of a water harvesting system for the school, there was no access to safe drinking water. Students had been forced to walk long distances (up to 5 miles) to fetch water daily so there was little time for studying. Since the gathered water was from an unprotected source, the children would suffer greatly from waterborne diseases. The school reported rampant outbreaks of typhoid, Bilharzia, influenza and cholera.

Also, poor hygiene practices were due to high enrollment and lack of sanitation facilities. It was common practice for students to leave latrines and never wash their hands which contributed to outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

But there is hope. Thanks to Lifeplus Foundation, a new rain catchment system, latrines, and hand-washing stations are now in place and children are back in school!

By preserving the health and dignity of the school population at Shisesia, we continue on our mission to improve the lives of people everywhere.