|
Women for Water implementing SDG Target 6.2 in Kenya
|
|
|
Safe Water, Sanitation and Green Energy for School Girls
|
One third of school absenteeism in Kenya is due to lack of safe water and toilets at schools. Girls suffer discomfort and stigmatization during their menstruation at schools and often decide to avoid school during their menstruation periods, even though they often do not have proper facilities at home as well. Long school days increase the risk of menstrual leaks and girls experience frequent harassment by boys. In addition girls miss out on education because they have to collect wood for cooking during the day and because the lack of lightning makes it very difficult doing homework for school after dark.
Local Kenya branches of Women for Water Partnership member Soroptimist International address this situation in a three year project targeting six schools in five counties in Northwest Kenya (Siaya, Kakamega, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kisumu Winam) and Machakos county, southeast of Nairobi. A client of Dutch bank (ABN/AMRO) facilitated 150,000 euro sponsoring and Soroptimist International contributed 43,000 euro. WfWP connected the Soroptimists to the donor, and assisted in proposal writing, planning and reporting. Engagement The project kicked off in November 2015 with stakeholder meetings involving school management boards, community representatives, members of the County Assembly, and of the departments of Public Health and Social Services. During these meetings communities in all six counties agreed to contribute land, labour and security for the construction activities. They also received training on health education for water, sanitation and hygiene using the guidelines for schools of the Ministry of Health of Kenya was provided. On each site at least 50 participants were trained. After having paved the way with engagement of stakeholders, capacity building and training construction works could start. Achievements in the first year included nine toilets, two washing/changing areas for girls only, four water tanks, and reparation of a septic tank for disposal of waste water. In the second year twelve water tanks and twenty-four toilets were built of which twenty are flushable toilets and four pit latrines. Five toilets are for persons with a disability. Five bathrooms were constructed and all toilet blocks included a hand washing area. Four extra toilets and bathrooms could be constructed with financial contributions of two school boards. In this third year sixteen toilets and eight water tanks will be constructed. Homework To address the lack of proper lightning and enabling students to doing homework in the evenings, 360 solar lanterns have been distributed and 600 people (women, men, students) trained in the use and maintenance of solar lanterns. To enhance ownership, the solar lanterns are not provided for free; each beneficiary contributed 10% of the costs of a solar lamp. 
360 solar lanterns were distributed
|
SDG Target 6.2 Achieving universal access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene by 2030 is a major challenge in many parts of the world. Target 6.2 calls for countries to end open defecation, to ensure that everyone has access to a basic toilet and to put in place systems for safe management of excreta. The global population using at least a basic sanitation service increased from 59 per cent in 2000 to 68 per cent between in 2015. However, 2.3 billion people still lacked basic services, 70 per cent were in rural areas, and just 1 in 10 countries below 95 per cent coverage is on track to achieve universal coverage by 2030. Furthermore, 4.5 billion people worldwide lacked a safely managed sanitation service in 2015, where excreta were safely disposed of in-situ or treated off-site. Target 6.2 also highlights the importance of hygiene and calls for special attention to the needs of women and girls. Handwashing with soap and water is widely recognized as a top priority for reducing disease transmission. The global status is not yet known, but least developed countries (LDCs) had the lowest coverage: only 27 per cent had basic handwashing facilities, though coverage was higher in urban areas. Source: SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation |
Fireless cooker
A Training of Trainers workshop taught community members and school children in four communities how to construct chepkube stoves and fireless cookers. During this training 50 chepkubes and 150 fireless cookers were made and sold. Some students took the lessons home and educated their parents and relatives and some women have since started a business in this field. Two more communities will receive training and sixty solar lamps during this final year of the project.
Intensive monitoring
Every project faces challenges. Some you just have to accept, like heavy rains delaying the construction period. Others you can address, such as slow decision-making by governmental bodies. Most challenges became visible during monitoring visits and were a reason for reflection, learning and adaptation. As such the need for more frequent supervision of the construction work was an important lesson to ensure the works are done according to the design and to mitigate any risk associated to project completion and quality. Already in the first year the number of monitoring visits increased to three checks per site on average, not easy to realise since most Soroptimist members are full-time employed.
During monitoring visits, it was discovered that the flushing toilet system is not suitable for heavy and intensive use. Therefore the systems are being replaced. Furthermore, in some schools boys felt discriminated and it is recommended to construct toilets for both boys and girls for equity and uniform sanitation provision. Another lesson was that some parents found it difficult to contribute Ksh 500/= ($5) towards the solar lanterns and jiko liners (stoves), therefore specific arrangements were made to pay installments.
Holding a stakeholders meeting combined with training has proved to be very effective, it saves time for the participants, trainers and organisers as well as money e.g. transport costs. Moreover, mobilisation of community assets and talents to encourage cost sharing and ownership are of utmost importance and stimulates other initiatives. Another important lesson to be implemented in the third year is to build Bio digesters instead of septic tanks for waste disposal of the school toilets. During the second year, it was experienced that construction of septic tanks took longer and that they are not as efficient in waste management as the Bio digester.
Spin off
The approach of the project and especially the intensive involvement of the stakeholders has led to many other initiatives in the respective schools and communities. For example a group of business women in a nearby town in Machakos were so inspired that they took the initiative to coach starting business women and sponsor them financially. Another community donated 5 sanitary pad boxes for the start of a sanitary pad bank at school and this initiative was replicated by other schools.
Two women groups trained four more women groups of their county in the construction of energy saving chepkube, also leading to income generating projects. Another women group saved money to buy more solar lanterns for members who did not receive lamps. One school procured a power generator to pump water from a nearby natural water source to supply to the toilet facility. And a County Education Director pledged student desks to the school and ensured that sanitary towels were regularly given to the school for the girls.
Commitment
This project, currently in its last year of implementation, is exemplary for projects executed by members of Women for Water Partnership. The enormous commitment of the Soroptimists in Kenya is key for its success. They work hard to complete the agreed results: building 48 toilets including bathrooms/washing areas, 24 rainwater harvesting tanks in 12 schools, distributing 350 solar lamps and 165 fireless cookers in 6 communities, next to organising stakeholder meetings and capacity building/training.
The combination of both ‘software’ (capacity development) and ‘hardware’ (construction work) is of paramount importance. Due to intensive monitoring, Soroptimist and other stakeholders have learned many lessons which they have put into practice immediately. With this project girls will be able to stay in school even during their menstruation. Children can do their homework in the evening with the solar lamps and thus increase their performance. The use of fireless cookers increases the time girls spent on studying since they do not have to collect much wood for cooking. Moreover, a clean stove system reduces smoke related diseases. The whole school community benefits from clean water facilities. The project sparkled other initiatives in the respective communities.
Intensive monitoring
Every project faces challenges. Some you just have to accept, like heavy rains delaying the construction period. Others you can address, such as slow decision-making by governmental bodies. Most challenges became visible during monitoring visits and were a reason for reflection, learning and adaptation. As such the need for more frequent supervision of the construction work was an important lesson to ensure the works are done according to the design and to mitigate any risk associated to project completion and quality. Already in the first year the number of monitoring visits increased to three checks per site on average, not easy to realise since most Soroptimist members are full-time employed.
During monitoring visits, it was discovered that the flushing toilet system is not suitable for heavy and intensive use. Therefore the systems are being replaced. Furthermore, in some schools boys felt discriminated and it is recommended to construct toilets for both boys and girls for equity and uniform sanitation provision. Another lesson was that some parents found it difficult to contribute Ksh 500/= ($5) towards the solar lanterns and jiko liners (stoves), therefore specific arrangements were made to pay installments.
Holding a stakeholders meeting combined with training has proved to be very effective, it saves time for the participants, trainers and organisers as well as money e.g. transport costs. Moreover, mobilisation of community assets and talents to encourage cost sharing and ownership are of utmost importance and stimulates other initiatives. Another important lesson to be implemented in the third year is to build Bio digesters instead of septic tanks for waste disposal of the school toilets. During the second year, it was experienced that construction of septic tanks took longer and that they are not as efficient in waste management as the Bio digester.
Spin off
The approach of the project and especially the intensive involvement of the stakeholders has led to many other initiatives in the respective schools and communities. For example a group of business women in a nearby town in Machakos were so inspired that they took the initiative to coach starting business women and sponsor them financially. Another community donated 5 sanitary pad boxes for the start of a sanitary pad bank at school and this initiative was replicated by other schools.
Two women groups trained four more women groups of their county in the construction of energy saving chepkube, also leading to income generating projects. Another women group saved money to buy more solar lanterns for members who did not receive lamps. One school procured a power generator to pump water from a nearby natural water source to supply to the toilet facility. And a County Education Director pledged student desks to the school and ensured that sanitary towels were regularly given to the school for the girls.
Commitment
This project, currently in its last year of implementation, is exemplary for projects executed by members of Women for Water Partnership. The enormous commitment of the Soroptimists in Kenya is key for its success. They work hard to complete the agreed results: building 48 toilets including bathrooms/washing areas, 24 rainwater harvesting tanks in 12 schools, distributing 350 solar lamps and 165 fireless cookers in 6 communities, next to organising stakeholder meetings and capacity building/training.
The combination of both ‘software’ (capacity development) and ‘hardware’ (construction work) is of paramount importance. Due to intensive monitoring, Soroptimist and other stakeholders have learned many lessons which they have put into practice immediately. With this project girls will be able to stay in school even during their menstruation. Children can do their homework in the evening with the solar lamps and thus increase their performance. The use of fireless cookers increases the time girls spent on studying since they do not have to collect much wood for cooking. Moreover, a clean stove system reduces smoke related diseases. The whole school community benefits from clean water facilities. The project sparkled other initiatives in the respective communities.
The project targets five communities in Northwest Kenya (Siaya, Kakamega, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kisumu Winam) and Machakos, southeast of Nairobi
