Report: Kisii District Hospital water supply

Rotary District project to provide Kisii District Hospital with a continuous supply of clean running water.

The project progressed slowly because of delays in receiving funding. While waiting the arrival of funds, the community dug a trench from the spring location about a kilometer uphill to the hospital water storage towers. Once funds arrived work progressed smoothly starting with the location of the eye of the spring and building of the filtration system. During the course of digging a second spring was located and this two was tapped to provide water to the local community and as a back up to the primary spring. The second spring, however, is seasonal. While work on the spring was progressing, a pump house was built, the pump was purchased and installed, and savings in construction costs allowed the purchase of what was to be a back-up diesel generator. The back-up is now serving as primary while the hospital waits for the government to install three phase power to the pump. The cement facility built where the community has access to spring water exceeded all expectations. the water flows throughout the day on a schedule that allows women to draw water in the early morning and vendors to draw water later in the day. There are platforms built to facilitate washing clothes and businesses are sprouting up around the facility. At night, the water is redirected to filling up the hospitals water storage tanks.

Maintenance funds are derived from the savings generated by not purchasing the municipal water system and water vendors. The District Water Engineer, who supervised the project also assisted in training hospital maintenance personnel and do scheduled maintenance inspections.

Completion of the project was delayed awaiting the local power company to extend three phase power to the pumping station and construction of a security fence. The back up diesel generator provided the power to pump water to the hospital. The project was completed in the fall and the dedication ceremony took place in November. The hospital expects power to be hooked up after priority projects for providing power to schools are completed.

Blue Planet Run was prominently displayed as a partner with Rotary on a large plaque at the entrance of the hospital and a second plaque at the community access area by the pumping station.. There was widespread publicity throughout the area and in Kenya's national news and television about the project and the role Blue Planet Run has played. The participation of a Kenyan in the Blue Planet Run will also be featured.

The project was led by the Rotary Clubs of Conifer, Colorado and Hurlingham-Nairobi . Rotarians Carol Carper, Don Howard and his wife, Pat, visited the project in June,2007 and documented existing conditions through video, pictures and interviews. A follow up visit was conducted in June, 2008 and June 2009 to evaluate the project. The Hurrlingham Rotary Club disbursed funds, monitored results, maintained records and solved problems. Don Howard, his wife, Pat, Dr. Mogoa, Hospital Superintendent, political and civic dignitaries and a crowd of 300 gathered for the ground breaking ceremony.

The schedule established for beginning the project was delayed because of the great number of water and other humanitarian projects processed by Rotary International Foundation at this time of year. It was further complicated by some missing details in the instructions for transferring funds. Once the funds were received, the community layed the pipes, materials were ordered and delivered expeditiously, and progress was satisfactory except for the delay in the delivery of three-phase power. All parties worked together harmoniously and care was taken to install quality materials with an eye toward sustainability. The Host country sponsor, the Hurlingham Rotary Club, is located in Nairobi, a six hour journey to Kisii. Coordination and supervision was difficult because of the distance involved. Attempts are being made to establish a Rotary Club in Kisii so that sustainability can easily be monitored.

The Japanese government had been waiting for several years to construct a million dollar addition to the hospital. However, a reliable source of water was needed to operate the heavy equipment needed for construction. Our water project provided the answer and construction is underway at the hospital.