WASH PROGRAM

💧 WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Program

Grassroot Community Development Initiative (GCDI)
Area of Operation: Machakos County, Kenya

Program Overview

The WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Program aims to improve access to safe water, promote proper sanitation, and strengthen hygiene practices among vulnerable households, schools, and community institutions in Machakos County.
Given the county’s semi-arid climate, seasonal water scarcity, and sanitation challenges, this program focuses on practical, community-driven, and sustainable solutions that protect health, dignity, and the environment.

The program integrates infrastructure support, behavior change education, community participation, and volunteer engagement to reduce preventable water- and sanitation-related diseases, especially among children, women, and persons with disabilities.

Program Objectives

• Increase access to safe and reliable water sources

• Improve sanitation facilities in households and schools

• Promote good hygiene practices, especially handwashing

• Reduce incidence of water-borne and sanitation-related diseases

• Strengthen community ownership and sustainability of WASH initiatives

Key Focus Areas

1. Safe Water Access

• Rainwater harvesting systems

• Protection of water sources

• Safe water storage and treatment

2. Sanitation Improvement

• Household and school latrine support

• Menstrual hygiene management (MHM)

• Community-led total sanitation (CLTS)

3. Hygiene Promotion

• Handwashing behavior change

• School and community hygiene education

• Household cleanliness and food hygiene

Core Activities

🚰 Water Access & Management

• Installation of rainwater harvesting tanks in schools, ECDE centers, and households

• Rehabilitation and protection of community water points

• Training households on water treatment methods (boiling, chlorination, filtration)

• Demonstrations on safe water storage using locally available containers

• Community water management committees training

🚻 Sanitation Improvement

• Support construction and upgrading of improved pit latrines

• Promotion of child-friendly and disability-inclusive toilets

• Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) education for adolescent girls

• Distribution of reusable and disposable sanitary products where needed

• Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) triggering sessions to end open defecation

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  🧼 Hygiene Education & Behavior Change

  • Handwashing demonstrations using tippy taps

  • School hygiene clubs and peer hygiene champions

  • Household hygiene visits and coaching

  • Food hygiene and safe waste disposal training

  • Hygiene promotion through drama, songs, and community forums