The team then created a Management Committee to plan next steps and a path forward. The committee agreed to work together and with partners for the successful implementation of these projects in Matsakha. Finally, the meeting and Community Engagement event ended with a closing prayer.
During this process we learned that schools are re-opening and the Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for covid -19 mitigation. The Management Committee noted that the school adjacent to where we were doing the community engagement process had recalled students, but had no face masks and the school could not provide adequate hand washing stations. The school has no soap or running water (tap). Soap is expensive and hard to find nearby. And children have haul jerry cans to a neighbor who has a bore-hole well to acquire a supply of water.
The committee identified soap and hand washing points in Matsakha schools as a priority. This will help comply with government directives on hand washing, and improve sanitation and hygiene amongst the students. We also note that those students also return home at the end of the day. The students better health is the communities better health. We are working with the committee on a project to quickly make soap for the community.
The meeting was a great success and an important opportunity for Friendly Water for the World to not only build relationships with the people of Matsakha, but also with our Kenya-based partner, Transforming Communities for Social Change (TCSC), led by Getry Agizah. The Community Engagement committees led to the creation of the Matsakha Community Development Group who in partnership with TCSC will help facilitate Friendly Water for the World work in Matsakha.