Ministerio Agua de Vida

The village of Dunga is located in western Kenya near Lake Victoria. Click on the Dunga Potable Water Sysstem Project Update for the interesting story about how we learned of this project. While we were at the dedication ceremony of the well at the Dunga Primary School in 2022 we saw the dire need for sanitary facilities. The school has about 350 students with a staff of about 20. To serve the sanitary needs of everyone at the school there are only two outhouse style latrines - one for students and one for teachers - as shown in the photo below.

Original Outhouse Latrine

New Sanitary Toilet

Notice that the new sanitary toilet pictured above does not have a comode. The new toilet is the "squat toilet" that is common in Africa - and in many other parts of the world. With this type of toilet the user simply squats over the porceline hole rather than sitting on a comode. In many cultures this is considered more sanitary because it avoids skin contact with the seat. But for us Americans it takes a bit of getting used to. The porceline and tile surfaces are MUCH easier to clean that the wooden floor of the old latrine. And as you can see there is a standard flush tank, which is only possible because of the water well drilled in the previous project.

New Shower Stall

Toilet and Shower Facility

In addition to sanitary toilets, the school staff asked if shower facilities could also be provided. With the abundance of running water the ability to take a refreshing shower is a real advantage to the staff and the students. There is no provision for hot water, but the climate in Kenya is warm enough that unheated water is not a problem. The addition of sanitary facilities - proper toilets and showers - is a logical next step after the well was completed and the Staff of the Dunga Primary School are very appreciative. To God be the Glory!

Technical Details

Project date: October 2022 - March 2023

Location: Dunga Village, Homa Bay County, Kenya

Project cost: $28,428

Type of project: Sanitary Bathroom and Shower Facilities

People served: School Staff and Students of about 370 people