| Country:
|
Kenya, East Africa |
| Project name: |
Nyanza Healthy Water Project |
| Program name: |
CARE Kenya: Nyanza Household Livelihood Security
Program (Dak Achana) |
| Donor & Timeline |
Woodruff Foundation, USA: Period: Oct.1, 1999
to Aug.31,2001 (i.e. .22 months funding period) |
| Project budget USD |
CCHI portion : US$ 250,000 In-Kind (CARE -WASEH):
US$ 1,199,990 Total : US$ 1,399,990 |
| Project Goal |
To improve household water quality and decrease
diarrheal diseases in a population lacking potable
water.; hence enable increased biological utilization
of food for a "supergoal" of improved
child nutrition. |
| Professional staff provided
by associated firm: |
2 CDC Scientific Advisors & 2 CCHI coordinators
based in Atlanta.
|
| Staff involved
directly in project implementation |
NHW staff (5) - Project Officer,
Marketing Specialist and 3 field OfficersWASEH
shared staff - Project Manager, Training Officer
(1) & Field staffs (3)Program shared staff
- Program coordinator plus M & E Officer |
| Project contact persons |
Project Manager: Philip Makutsa,
email: makutsa@net2000ke.com
Western Regional Coordinator:
Dr. Adam Koons,
email: koons@ksm.care.or.ke
|
| Funding Agency: |
Woodruff Foundation, USA |
A. Context and Community Profile:
A1. Introduction
The Nyanza Healthy Water Project is a fairly new
project in CARE Kenya and is being implemented under
the auspices of CARE - Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) Health Initiative (CCHI). The
project complements an on-going CARE Kenya's USAID-funded
Water, Sanitation and Education for Health (WASEH)
Project, and is an applied research cum development
project within the rural context.
WASEH is one of the components of
CARE Kenya's Nyanza Household Livelihood Program
(Dak Achana).
A2. Project Coverage and location
The target communities are located in Western Kenya
around Lake Victoria, in the three districts of
Rachuonyo, Homa Bay and Subain Nyanza province.
A3. Profile of the communities
These districts have an estimated population of
575,294 with annual growth rate of 3.0%. The main
livelihood systems are subsistence farming, petty
trading, agricultural wage labor and small-scale
commercial fishing.
Rural-to-urban migration, along with
the breakup of households due to deaths and divorce,
has resulted in approximately 35% of rural household
being headed by women. These female-headed households
constitute (53%) of all households living in absolute
poverty, nationally. In two of the districts, the
target population is of rural-rural migrants, whose
settlements dates back as far as 1950s.
A4. Interventions and selection
criteria
The Nyanza Household Livelihood Security Program
is a multi-sectoral set of projects, targeting mainly
food, health and nutrition securities. The program
is designed based on a livelihood security assessment
conducted by CARE-Kenya in 1996 and 1999. These
assessments found constraints to livelihood security,
including 34% access to safe drinking water, 47%
incidence of diarrhea among children, poor sanitation,
poor nutritional standards, high prevalence of STD/HIV/AIDs,
low food production and lack of credit facilities.
B. Detailed Narrative description
of NHW project:
B1. Project Overview
The NHW project is basically an applied research
cum development project. The project goal is to
improve the quality of drinking water at household
level and reduce diarrhea incidences in the target
population, particularly in children below 5 years.
The project seeks to accomplish
three objectives:
i. Motivate the communities to adopt and use the
safe water system.
ii. Determine the impact of the intervention on
health, in terms of reduced diarrhea incidences,
improved nutrition and ultimately reduced child
mortality rate.
iii. Develop a social marketing strategy that would
promote a wider utilization
of the safe water system.
B2. Technology
This household-based water quality intervention,
commonly referred to as safe water system, and was
developed by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and Pan America Health Organization/World
Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) for control and prevention
of diarrhea diseases caused by bacterial infections.
The intervention employs technologies
appropriate for the developing world, which comprises
of the following key components:
· Filtration of contaminated water using
cotton cloth
· Treatment of contaminated water using Sodium
Hypochlorite
· Safe water storage, preferably in plastic
containers with narrow mouths and spigot
· Behavior change resulting from hygiene
education and social marketing
C. The Study matrix:
C1. Research Design
The project uses a quasi -experimental design. The
nature of the implementation of the safe water system
does not permit experimental design because the
disinfectant solution and storage containers will
be promoted and offered for sale on a village- basis.
As such, the Nyanza Healthy Water Project is basically
an applied research project
The purpose of the study is to determine
whether households in the WASEH project areas utilizing
the safe water system are able to improve the quality
of stored drinking water and reduce the incidence
of diarrheal diseases in children under 5 years.
The study covers a total of 1620 households
in 18 villages, and the implementation is being
done in all the 71 villages where Dak Achana is
implementing WASEH project and two villages where
TASK projects is being implemented.
The study in the selected villages
involves, monitoring of chlorine adherence at the
households, consumer research and active diarrhea
surveillance. This study has three intervention
groups which are as follows:
Intervention group A: * WASEH villages
in which well construction is not possible
* Two randomly selected from each of 3 districts.
* Each village is given access to safe water
system in phase 1 of the Project. |
Intervention group B: * WASEH villages
in which well construction is possible
* Two randomly selected from each of 3 districts
* Each village is given access to safe water
system in phase 1 of the project |
C2. Formative and Consumer Research
These have been conducted to gauge the communities'
acceptability of the safe water system, willingness
to buy the inputs, affordability and preferred distribution
system. Communication channels and decision making
were also explored. Further qualitative consumer
research was conducted to identify a locally acceptable
name, logo, promotional slogan and preferred label
design of the chemical. A sustainable input supply
and distribution system (chlorine and storage vessels)
has been designed. For production of the inputs,
CARE has contracted the services of the private
sector.
C3. Chlorine Demand Standardization
Chlorine demand standardization of various water
storage vessels was conducted to determine the amount
of chlorine needed in 20 liters of river, dam (earth
pan) and lake water. These vessels included old
and new clay pots as well as a plastic container.
Thus dosages of chlorine for various
water storage vessels has been established viz.
for new clay pot, old clay pot and plastic container.
D. Project Implementation strategies:
D1. Community mobilization
The Nyanza Healthy Water Project covers the same
71 villages with a target population of 51,183;
currently being covered by WASEH. The project is
using functional community structures, which have
been facilitated by WASEH and put in place. The
3 Locational Management Committees (LMCs), 6 Sub-Locational
Management Committees (SLMCs ) ,71 Village Management
Committees (VMCs) are charged with the responsibility
of co-ordinating the implementation of the project
activities.
D2. Input Supply System
The project has established linkages with the private
sector which is a commercial bleach manufacturer
produces branded Sodium Hypochlorite (Klorin) and
transports to the project site.
A sustainable system of distribution
of inputs (chlorine and storage vessels) using the
local institutions has been designed and established
to facilitate easy accessibility by the communitymembers.
Distribution of the chemical and the water storage
vessels is through the local community institutions
and the VHPs. Reasonable price margins are offered
to create incentives and motivation to VHPs.
D3. Hygiene Education
A total of 520 Village Health Promoters (VHPs) have
received training using a curriculum jointly developed
by WASEH and Nyanza Healthy Water Projects. The
VHPs will conduct Hygiene education to the communities,
particularly on safe water handling and storage
and prevention and control of diarrhea.
D4. Water Quality Testing
Water sampling and quality analysis will be conducted
to determine the bactericidal effect of chlorine
in water during rainy and dry seasons. Samples of
water from the 1,620 households will be collected
and tested for Escherichia coli and other coliforms
in the laboratory. Chlorine adherence monitoring
will also be carried out to monitor adoption rate
of chlorine in households. Chlorine levels will
also be checked at the household level.
D5. Monitoring of Health Effects
Diarrhea surveillance will be conducted in 360 households
(22% of the target) to determine the health effect
of the intervention on diarrhea incidences in the
villages. The surveillance will run for 8 weeks
per season (before the rains and after the rains).
E. Social marketing techniques:
Upon the conclusion of this research/study in August
2001, Phase II of the project will commence immediately.
This will entail launching and wider dissemination
of the modified safe water technology based on the
experiences and lessons learned.
|
