When construction began for the nursery and first grade classrooms for incoming students, it was obvious to the administration that the most pressing need at the school was clean water.
Students spend most of their days during the week on campus. Water is needed for drinking, cooking (2 meals a day - breakfast and lunch), bathing, and cleaning.
When St. Paul School was founded, the only source of water was about 300 meters (over 3 football fields) away from the school and originated from a single water tap. The water tap often produced water very slowly or didn’t have any running water for long periods of time.
The water tap was unreliable because it was connected to a single water pipe coming from Lake Victoria to which several other taps were joined along the way. If another tap was being used along the pipe, the school’s tap stopped or slowed down considerably. Because of this, cooks and support staff just skipped taking water from the tap and went straight to the Lake about 5 km (3 miles) from the school. This limited their time to spend at the school.
The need for water is always constant and so it was very common for cooks to be pulled out of their daily routine to fetch water. Sometimes students had to wait for a long time for breakfast and lunch.
Father Robert Luvakubandi with the support of the Diocese of Musoma decided to undertake a major clean water project on the campus of the St. Paul School.
It was decided that one enormous underground water tank that could store 100,000 liters (26,000 gallons) of water would be built between the school’s dining hall and classrooms.
Rain gutters were installed along the roofs of classrooms and the dining hall to channel rain water into the underground water tank. This project was funded by the local Christian community associated with Divine Mercy parish.
The underground water tank was made of concrete. The concrete was treated with water-proofing materials and reinforced with iron rods. A pump and underground piping was then connected to the water tank.
The electric pump operates with a small movable, generator.
This electric pump allows the school to pump water from the tank to the school during dry season after rainwater is collected in the water tank. Water can be pumped to all areas on campus where water is needed.
Local contractors provided the labor. Local carpenters and builders from Musoma town were recommended by Divine Mercy parish lay council. Parents and friends of the school, as well as some parish youth helped with unskilled labor.
All of the materials were purchased from hardware stores in Musoma and Mwanza and transported by local community members and truck drivers.
When all of the construction was finished, Father Robert organized an assembly to introduce the water system to the students and teachers and explain the operation and water conservation plan.
The school Water Committee developed a sustainability plan. The school now monitors the condition of the improvements and performs any needed maintenance and repairs.
All St. Paul School students and staff and their families, now benefits from the clean water project.
This was and still remains an ambitious and important project undertaken by the school. This reliable water system will improve the health and well-being of the students, and add great value and efficiency to the educational experience for everyone!
