A successful fundraising appeal by Cheltenham Twinning Association in conjunction with Cheltenham Rotary Club means two water wells can be rehabilitated in Kisumu, Kenya to provide safe water to two primary schools and their communities. The Chippenham-based WellBoring charity is managing the process including the well installations (https://www.wellboring.org/).

The first well was completed in July 2022 at Kunya Renja Primary School in Kisumu, (total population 581). A second well is set to be rehabilitated at another Kisumu school following the October to December 2022 rainy season.

The Kunya Renja primary school and local community had a well that fell into disrepair in 2018. Since that time, mainly the women and children have had to walk long distances to fetch water from the Nyamasaria stream. This is shared with animals and contains impurities from the local Kibos sugar factory, resulting in water-borne diseases being frequently contracted.

The clean water source at Kunya Renja Primary School will help reduce the water-related stomach diseases rife among pupils, and lead to higher school attendance and performance levels. Hygiene and sanitation standards will also be improved as there will be an abundant source of water for cleaning classrooms. Availability of this water will also help save time during lunch preparations, as cooks will not have to walk all the way to the stream to collect water for cooking.

WellBoring works in partnership with Kisumu school authorities to create a Water Management committee at well locations. At Kunya Renja Primary School, Headteacher, Dominic Awuoth has agreed to head up the committee, to ensure safety, operations and sustainability of the well.

A total of £2,393.75 was raised by Cheltenham Twinning Association via a JustGiving page (£1,940 + £453.75 Gift Aid). The GiftAid is currently in the process of being reclaimed. A further £1,000 was raised by Cheltenham Rotary Club. All monies were donated to the WellBoring Charity.

Cheltenham has had a friendship link with Kisumu since 1985, the third largest city in Kenya. It is hoped connections between Cheltenham and Kisumu can be further developed focusing on the sharing of IT knowledge and expertise.

Cheltenham based charity Global Footsteps has supported the Aniga Women’s Community Based Organisation in Kisumu since the 1990’s with several initiatives. This year saw the latest one when Benter Ndeda, the CEO of the Aniga Women helped Kenyan girl pupils by successfully delivering sanitary pads to local schools in Kisumu County.

Ethical Giving, a charitable organisation, provided £2,000 that was transferred directly to the Aniga Women to support a “period poverty” project.

The successful provision of sanitary pads has helped girls between the ages of 10 and 17 years old to increase their self-esteem, with improved school attendance and information on menstrual hygiene management and awareness of HIV & AIDS.

In Kenya, there are significant cultural taboos around menstruation, which pose a serious challenge to access to sanitary towels. Many girls in Kenya can miss an average of four days of school every month, due to embarrassment and lack of guidance. This means a high likelihood of falling behind or even dropping out. The dropout rate among female students in primary and secondary schools is already a problem in Kenya.

As well as affecting their education, the girls’ health is also endangered by the absence of support and guidance on menstruation. Problems such as unhygienic ways to dry menstrual materials or dispose of them appropriately are commonplace. Girls also worry about leakage and lack of resources (e.g. soap, clean water). Consequently, many girls grow up in isolation with low self-esteem, afraid of prejudices and negative attitudes.

Global Footsteps was able to transfer funds direct to the Aniga Women CBO and then our contact Benter Ndeda travelled from the rural county of Kisumu to Nairobi to purchase the bulk quantity of sanitary pads needed. Weather and road conditions made the trip challenging but she bought a total of 2,050 pieces of sanitary pads, enough to provide 670 pupils, with three months’ supply each and guidance on their use.

A final health concern is that schools cannot effectively dispose of sanitary pads. They use pit latrines as toilets, which quickly fill up. Ideally schools should use an incinerator to dispose of the pads and reduce the risk of disease. Possibly a future project.