There was a wonderful day back in 2007 when a water well was drilled at Galilee, finally
allowing for the availability of water on the campus!
That bore hole was drilled thanks to the fundraising efforts of our Galilee supporters and the hard work of a Kenyan woman
engineer from the UK named Yolanda and crew.
Fanuel, school director, reports that Yolanda is back at the school this week! She
had done some fundraising in order to install a chlorine douser which
was installed today. This douser will allow for the chlorination of the
water, making it safer for drinking. There have been several students
with stomach problems due to the high level of bacteria in the water so
this should help with that. What a wonderful gift!
Here are excerpts from Yolanda's report from 2007, just to give you a sense of how important all of this is:
Project Summary
By Yolanda
Page 1 of 3
*Background*
The drought in Kenya has made a simple necessity such as water very
expensive, and it is considered a luxury to the children of Galilee
Primary and Waddington High School in the Kayole-Soweto slums of
Nairobi, Kenya. Consequently, the school launched an appeal
for funding to construct a water-well which would provide a reliable and
cost effective water supply benefiting not only the school, but the
Soweto community as a whole. Through research I identified this
project and instantly wanted to be involved in assisting the school to
achieve their goal, and contribute towards improving the lives of Kenya's children.
*My Journey to Galilee and Waddington School *
In May 2007, I travelled to Galilee Primary and Waddington High School
in Kenya to supervise the construction of the water-well. Additionally,
the aim of my trip was to promote the Institute of
Civil Engineering (ICE) and women in engineering on an international
level. Having never visited the slums of Nairobi before, Kayole-Soweto
was a completely new learning experience for me.
Kayole-Soweto is located approximately 25km on the outskirts of Nairobi
city centre. The non-formal school founded in 1997, educates over 1600
impoverished children, as well as providing food and shelter for the
orphans. With two streams of classrooms from Standard 1 – Form 3 (aged 4 – 18 years), the school was much bigger than
I had envisaged catering for an average of 35/ 40 students per class
and is growing daily. The classrooms are very simple and basic, with
minimal sanitary facilities.
*Page 2*
Project Summary
By Yolanda
Page 2 of 3
*The Water-Well Construction *
Prior to my involvement, the school had undertaken an assessment to
determine a suitable location for the well and required drill-depth to
provide enough clean water to meet the demand. The survey concluded the
well needed to be approximately 200m deep. I soon
discovered that the Nairobi River runs though Soweto slum adjacent to
the school. However due to poor sanitation and pollution (an ongoing
problem the school are battling), the river is unable to provide
a source of clean water for the children. Although the construction
start date was slightly delayed, I liaised with the Contractor and was
able to supervise the main event. Located within a major aquifer, the
ground conditions at the school are highly permeable. In a record
breaking time, I supervised as the Contractor drilled
200m in one day! The whole school gathered to witness the drilling.
Excitement was clearly in the air and many children
expressed joy that their prayers for clean water had been answered.
*Page 3*
Project Summary
By Yolanda
Page 3 of 3
*The Future Galilee and Waddington and Engineers *
I received a warm welcome from the students of Galilee and Waddington
Schools. Many children of all ages expressed an interest in engineering and were keen to talk to me about the profession.
I spent much time teaching the children about the benefits of a career
in civil engineering and answering particular questions the children
had. This mainly involved explaining the differences in
consultancy and contracting, outlining the various aspects of civil
engineering and describing my qualifications and employment and as a civil engineer. Most of the children had the perception
that engineering involved intensive manual labour and was a career for men only.
I learned as the first female engineer the children had ever met, my
visit offered them hope and encouragement to work hard and achieve their
dreams. Many students, including more girls are now considering engineering as a career choice.
*The Galilee- Waddington Experience*
Spending time in the Soweto slums opened my eyes to the reality of
poverty in Nairobi. I witnessed first hand the daily struggles children
face to simply stay alive. Some children did not
know where their next meal or water would come from outside the schools.
Survival of the schools is entirely dependant on sponsors and well
wishers. I was overwhelmed to see all the selfless hard work the school
director, Fanuel Okwaro and teachers are doing to
provide for these children in need. On embarking on this project, I was
not sure what to expect, but after spending time with the children, I
was confident that I was in the right place. The schools
are founded on religious backgrounds, and it is believed this strong
foundation is the driving force that ensures their survival. I travelled
to Soweto slums to help and teach the children, but when I
left I felt that I had learned the biggest lesson. It made me realize
the many things we take for granted in our daily life such as water,
food and clothing. These wonderful children, with next to
nothing, were so lively and happy to meet a new face. This was a humbling and truly memorable experience for me.
I learned that the smallest of
gestures can make a big difference in improving lives. They really are wonderful children
and every little assistance counts. Please do what you can to help Kenya's children in need.
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