Safe Water for Schools Kenya

We believe creating access to clean drinking water is one of the most powerful ways to improve the world. Not only can it save communities from infectious disease, malnutrition and health complications, but improved water supply and sanitation can also boost economic growth and help to reduce poverty.

Together with our guests, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy is working towards raising standards of living through access to clean drinking water for schoolchildren in Kenya, a demographic who suffer from persistent and pervasive health inequalities.

THE INITIATIVE

The Safe Water for Schools Initiative uses the LifeStraw community filter to create clean water for Maasai students. This sustainable, non-invasive, high-volume water purifier converts contaminated water into safe drinking water by removing a minimum of 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses and protozoan parasites, preventing waterborne diseases common in Africa, such as diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, worms and cryptosporidiosis.

Each filtration system can purify between 70,000 to 100,000 litres of water (enough to serve a school for three to five years), is chemical free and does not require electrical power or batteries. At present, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy has provided the LifeStraw community filter to 42 schools in the Mara, 20 schools in Amboseli and 10 schools in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, providing over 54,000 students with access to clean drinking water.

THE RESULTS

By implementing this programme in schools, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy is promoting the health and hygiene of school children in an equitable way. The introduction of the revolutionary filter prevents the loss of vital nutrients due to diarrhoea and water-related illness, helps halt stunted growth and malnutrition in children and contributes to economic development of the community through income saved from clinic expenditures. The access to clean water will also help increase the productivity of school children and staff by reducing absenteeism from sicknesses.

As part of our long-term commitment to the Maasai community, the Safe Water for Schools Initiative conducts quarterly surveys via mobile phone to assess the benefits of the programme, ensures that the schools continue to practise complementary health and hygiene behaviours and confirms that the filters are working properly.