Imagine if you had to walk three miles from your living room to your kitchen sink. How would YOUR life be different?

Did you know?

• _{More than one billion people on our planet lack access to safe drinking water.}
• _{Approximately 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illnesses.}
• _{For children under the age of 5, water-related diseases are the leading cause of death.}
• _{At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.}
• _{Millions of women and children spend several hours a day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources.}
• _{Every $1 spent on water and sanitation creates on average another $8 in costs averted and productivity gained.}

 

What is H₂O for Life?

The "H2O  for Life" organization was started by a teacher in Minnesota who traveled to Kenya and saw a need.  In 2007, teacher Patty Hall led the Highview Middle School in raising over $10,000 to pipe clean water and provide a sanitation system to a town with 2,000 residents in Kenya.  This was the impetus for Patty starting the "H2O for Life" organization, which is now endorsed by UNICEF and other international aid organizations.  "H2O for Life" matches U.S. schools with schools in developing countries, with the U.S. school raising funds to help its less fortunate global partner.

In the summer of 2007, a group of Summit staffers traveled to Kenya and happened to meet Patty Hall there. Since that time, H2O for Life has partnered 100 schools and has been spotlighted in numerous newspapers and magazines. Patty Hall has received many honors and was featured in last June's edition of Reader's Digest and on the "Today Show."  (Click here, on the photo or on the above logo to find more information about the organization.)

 Important Project Update  

February 2009 

Kiptagei Primary School in Bomet, Kenya will be Summit's new partner school for this school year. 

Why did we change our partner school? Saul Garlick, President of the Student Movement for Real Change, informed H2O for Life about a major delay in the water pipeline construction for the Kayafungo area. Government workers severely damaged the connecting water pipeline from Mombasa while building a road along side it. Before this problem occurred, Garlick's organization was prepared to begin constructing the connecting segment of the pipeline needed to provide Gandini, our partner school, and other area schools with clean drinking water and sanitation systems.

Because it is uncertain how long it will take to untangle the government red tape and repair the pipeline, H2O for Life advised Summit and several other schools to shift their focus and help other needy schools. It is the organization's goal to partner U.S. schools with projects that can be completed within a school year. Patty Hall has promised that her organization will again partner Kayafungo schools with U.S. schools, once the problem is resolved. In fact, Mrs. Hall will visit schools in the Kayafungo region when she travels to Kenya this summer.

What is our new fundraising goal? Because of the cost differences in the water delivery systems planned for each school, our fundraising goal has been lowered to $5600.  For this project, we will be working with Waterlines, an organization that has provided funding and technical expertise in over 200 communities around the world. Unlike the semi-arid region of Kayafungo, the Bomet area usually experiences at least two major rainfall periods a year, enough to support a rainwater catchment system. The funds we raise would be used to build a 25,000 liter catchment tank, latrines, hand washing stations and provide hygiene education. With the total cost of the project being $11,200, Waterlines will match what we raise and advance the funds needed to ensure a timely completion of the project.

As indicated by the fundraising thermometer, we have surpassed our fundraising goal of $5600. We have raised over $7,200! Hooray!! And, our total is still growing!! All money raised above our goal will be used to help another school obtain clean drinking water. Before the school year ends , we will update the thermometer with our final total. THANK YOU for your support!

Learn More about Kiptagei Primary School...

As one Kiptagei parent recently stated after Summit became its partner school, "Waterlines and H2O for Life came on time to save the situation so we could step ahead."  

How do you pronounce it? Kip*Tog*A (that's a long A)

Where is it? Kiptagei is located in the Bomet district of the Rift Valley Province in southwest Kenya. Bomet is nearly 200 miles from Nairobi, Kenya's capital. Click here to see the Kenya map.

How many students attend? It has 547 students (and 11 teachers) in preschool through the 8th grade.

What is the project status? U. S. representatives from Waterlines recently returned from visiting the school. They reported that the school has a large, supportive parents building committee and that the school compound is abuzz with activity. Tenwek Community Health, the outreach arm of Tenwek Hospital, also plays a key role in this WASH (WAter, Sanitation, and Hygiene education) Initiative. 

The rainwater harvesting tanks and gutters are nearly complete. They are even adding new classrooms! Fathers have dug 15 feet into the ground to build the pits for the new latrines. The photo shows the progress made after 5 days of digging.

Under construction: rainwater catchment tank and gutters

Fathers have dug the pits for the new brick and slab latrines

Old latrines