Good news is hard to come by nowadays, but this might make you smile. Remember when we partnered with local Richmond charity Just A Drop back in 2019, to help bring clean water to a Kenyan secondary school? Well, the project’s been a success!

Kenya is a chronically water-scarce country, prone to severe drought. This leads to food scarcity and poverty, with 42% of the population living below the poverty line. The 228 students at Mwambui School were previously having to buy water from vendors – who themselves were collecting from the River Kamuwongo 30 minutes away.

That’s where we – and you – came in. In partnership with Just A Drop, a state-of-the-art rainwater harvesting project was undertaken at the school. A brand new safe water tank was constructed, able to store up to 104,000 litres of water – providing everything the school needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning, all year round.

The students have undergone hygiene education, too, and have been given access to handwashing facilities. This means they can use their new knowledge and new surroundings to stay hygienic and germ-free – more important than ever during the pandemic. Having been closed since March because of Coronavirus, Mwambui School has just reopened – and students have been given the opportunity to see their brand new water supply for the first time.

Just A Drop expect not only a huge increase enrollment and attendance, but less water-related illnesses and an overall improvement in students’ and teachers’ quality of life. We’re happy to have played our part, and we can’t thank you all enough for your support in saving the funds to make this possible.

As for our next partnership with Just A Drop? Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement in the near future…