Unlocking Dreams: Transforming Lives Through the 100% WASH Project in Narok County.

For 13-year-old Susan, a student in Narok County, the school bell did not mean the start of a lesson. Instead, it marked the beginning of a daily struggle.

Her day began at 5AM, not with a textbook, but with the weight of a yellow jerrycan in her hands. Before she put on her school uniform, Susan walked more than 3 kilometres to a silanga, a muddy earth dam where the water was shared with thirsty livestock from the village.

By the time Susan reached her classroom, she was already tired and had no energy left before lessons started.

“The water was always brown, but it was all we had,” Susan remembers.

But collecting water was only one of the challenges she faced.

Inside the classroom, Susan and her classmates were still thirsty. For weeks, the school’s rainwater tanks remained empty under the hot sun. The latrines were falling apart, smelled bad, and offered no privacy, making things harder. For Susan and many girls, lacking enough water and proper toilets made managing their periods very difficult. They often had to choose between attending school and preserving their dignity.

“I was afraid of the shame,” she recalls.

To avoid the shame of stained uniforms, Susan often stayed home during her period, missing up to five days of school each month. While her classmates learned, her dream of becoming a doctor slipped further away.

Susan’s struggle is similar to that of thousands of children in Narok County. Only 33% of residents have access to safe water, so families rely on distant, often dirty sources. During the dry season, some children walk 5 to 8 kilometres or farther just to fill a container. This causes missed school, poor health, and fewer learning opportunities.

Hope arrived with the 100% WASH Project. Led by Amref Health Africa and supported by the well:fair foundation, this project is changing the story for entire communities.

Since 2021, the project has helped more than 150,000 people and 19,000 students get access to safe water. Now, 52 schools have protected springs, solar-powered boreholes, and modern, clean toilets for both students and teachers.

At Susan’s school, a solar-powered borehole now supplies clean water to handwashing stations and new gender-friendly toilets. Private bathrooms with menstrual hygiene products provide girls a safe place to manage their periods and stay in class confidently.

“I don’t have to carry a jerrycan to school anymore,” Susan says, her smile bright. “And I don’t stay home during my periods; we have private bathrooms with running water now.”

The changes go beyond just having water. In schools that received help, absenteeism has dropped by 35%, allowing more children to stay in class and focus on their futures.

For Susan, this change means more than just having clean water.

For Susan, it means she has more time to learn, feels more confident, and has a better chance to become a doctor.

What used to be a daily struggle is now a future full of hope and new possibilities.

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Author: Paullete Adhiambo, Communication Associate, Amref Health Africa in Kenya

Editor: Noah Wekesa, Digital Communications and Engagement Officer, Amref Health Africa