Clean water for 917 households Kenya

Thank you for supporting this project bringing access to clean water to families at home and children at school.  A basic human right and essential for creating a healthy community.

Earlier this month, Brighter Communities Worldwide celebrated Global Handwashing Day. This global day is celebrated annually on October 15th to raise awareness about the importance of washing hands as a means to prevent transmission of disease and to help keep people healthy.

Across 9 schools in the county, staff and volunteers distributed soap and joined the students to go through the important steps of handwashing.  They also made an evaluation of different parts of the school where water is needed – for example tippy tappy’s for handwashing at the latrines and water for drinking and cooking with at the kitchenn. Students and teachers finished the celebrations planting trees in the school grounds.

Caroline Chelangat, the schools education co-ordinator explains that tree planting is included in the healthy schools programme as part of actions to tackle climate change.   Firewood is the main source of fuel for cooking and as a result de-forestation is a major environmental issue in Kenya.  As part of Brighter Communities Worldwide’s education programmes in the schools and community we are supporting tree planting of indigenous species to help with forest restoration.

Trees store carbon and provide oxygen which helps reduce carbon emissions and so they are an important part of the fight against climate change.  Planting trees is also a vital part of protecting water sources. Without trees, rainwater runs off land too quickly causing soil erosion and creating mud streams that contaminate clean water sources.

So far this year, over 11,500 trees have been planted across 61 schools.

This month we have also had a team of volunteers in Kenya from Ireland and Australia.  They have joined staff and local volunteers in helping deliver many of our programmes including stove installations, lifeskills courses, remote emergency care, business training and trauma care.  During the weekend, they joined the staff team to plant 50 seedlings on Tulwap hill.  These will be added to by the local community who also farm in the area and will look after the seedlings until they establish.

If you would like to support this project again, then please save November 28^th in your calendar – this is Giving Tuesday and GlobalGiving have a bonus funds of $1.2million USD available on that day.  The more funds you donate, the more bonus funds our projects will receive.  Thank you.