Better learning, health and dignity

Published in January 2026

Every child should have the right to a quality education. Katuuni Mixed Secondary School is a testament to how access to clean water is integral to the possibility of receiving a good schooling experience. With their new school water tank, there is better health and learning.

Katuuni Mixed Secondary School located in Kitui County, Kenya is a boarding school that was struggling to give children the education they deserved and needed due to water scarcity. Children spend a significant portion of their day at school and so it is important that they have access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services while at school to be comfortable, hydrated, fed, clean and focused.

Prior to the water tank, the situation was dire. Due to the lack of access to water, the school had to spend much of their money on buying bottled water and students would often be sent home to bring in their own water. Water sources would often run out during peak drought periods which led to poor academic performance because the environment at school was not conducive to learning.

The school needed sufficient water to cook meals for their pupils, keep them hydrated (especially while studying during hot weather), sanitise the bathrooms and clean the learning spaces. Moses, a pupil at the school, shares what this felt like:

“Water was scarce in the past leading to late preparation of food. We could only mop our classes thrice in a month and latrines would reek of unpleasant odour due to poor hygiene. It was difficult to focus in these conditions.”

In arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya, like Kitui, where Katunni Mixed Secondary School is located, children are more likely to drop out of school in comparison to urban areas, so it was paramount that the water situation be tackled head on.

Sand Dams Worldwide, in partnership with Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF), enabled the construction of a 104,000-litre rainwater tank so that the school could be supported against the harsh effects of water scarcity and the hot and dry climate. Miss Beatrice Mushimi, a teacher at the school, details the positive changes:

“We are glad that we have this tank in our school because now we have enough water for cooking and meals do not delay. We use the water to clean the students’ dormitories, classrooms and latrines. Students also drink water easily whenever they are thirsty. When they are comfortable, they can concentrate in class and get better grades. They are also getting enough water to conduct their personal hygiene. Moreover, we have recently built one more classroom and this tank’s water was crucial to the construction.”

The impacts of this school water tank are clear considering what the children are now achieving in comparison to before. Miss Mushimi credits this to the water tank:

“We have also been getting good grades because our students are able to access clean water within the school compound. During the recent Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education results we scored a mean grade of 4.7, up from 3.6 in the previous year.”

Moses expressed his gratitude to the water tank project, saying:

“I am now very happy that we have enough clean water in our school for drinking and personal hygiene. We have planted trees and there will be enough water to even prepare food for our teachers.”

Please donate what you can today and protect children’s health and education with school water tanks and access to clean water