Peter Kirira, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Planning and Institutional Advancement, Mount Kenya University (Kenya)

Peter’s project focuses on addressing whether the installation of water dispensers in primary schools improve the uptake of safe water in primary school going pupils in Laikipia County of Kenya. The objective of the study are: to determine the utilization level of water backpacks by the pupils in beneficiary institutions, to determine the knowledge of the pupils on the benefits of using safe water, to determine the extent to which this intervention has affected the uptake of safe water at home, and to determine the attitude of the community on the introduction of water backpacks as an alternative to jerricans in transport and storage of water.

This proposal envisions a cross-sectional study in 20 schools that received water backpacks design by Freig to provide a cleaner, safer alternative to the often-contaminated jerry cans used by women in developing countries for water transport and storage. The research will use quantitative (questionnaires and observation guides) as well as qualitative (interview guides) data collection tools. Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data will be analysed through identification, examination, and interpretation of patterns and themes in data obtained in order to determine how these patterns and themes relate to the research questions.

Peter is partnering with Partners for Care and Community Health Volunteers. PFC is the sole distributor of water backpacks in Kenya. The NGO acquired the patent for manufacture of water backpack from Greif Company and has developed a local production unit in Kenya. PFC participated during the distribution of the water backpacks to the community and have local contack persons within the community. They will be involved in the observational study as experts in the utilization of the pack. In addition, they will provide support services that may be needed in the course of carrying out the research. They will also collect information about the backpacks that may need maintenance and replacement.

The CHVs will support in collecting data from the community on the attitude of the community on the introduction of water backpacks as an alternative to jerricans in transport and storage of water. In addition, they will provide comparative data on incidences of waterborne illnesses in schools that are using the water backpacks in comparison to the schools within the same community that did not receive the backpacks.

The proposed research is a follow-up to a roll-out of water backpacks that was implemented in mid-2021 to 66 primary schools of Laikipia county. The current research seeks to determine the residual knowledge level on usage of the water backpack and the kind of behavior changes that will improve the utilization of the safe water device by the pupils in the selected schools. The result of this aspect of research will therefore contribute significantly to the efforts to roll out of safe water interventions in similar under resourced communities of Kenya. This research will also determine how this program can be improved so that it can influence the uptake of safe drinking water both in school and at home. The kind of organizational changes that will make for greater adoption of the water backpacks by the community will also be determined in consultation with stakeholders from the community.

Some of the proposed community impacts are an increase in adoption of safe drinking water within the community, a decrease in the number of water borne illnesses especially amongst the school-going children, a reduction in school absenteeism due to waterborne related illnesses, improved school performance due to reduction in pupils absenteeism, and an increase in disposable income in the community due to reduction in health management costs. The impacts will be measured by observing:
an increase in adoption of safe drinking water within the community, a decrease in the number of water borne illnesses especially amongst the school- going children, a reduction in school absenteeism due to waterborne related illnesses, improved pupils’ performance due to reduction in pupils’ absenteeism, and an increase in disposable income in the community due to reduction in health management costs.