The Gari School Water Project

Case study: The Gari School Water Project

The Gari community initiated a project to construct a boarding facility for their school to accommodate pupils whose parents were highly mobile pastoralists. During the dry seasons when pastoralist families migrate in search of pasture and water for their livestock they would be forced to withdraw their children from school. The head teacher of Gari primary school worked with the local community to construct a boarding facility for boys.

Soon after the boarding facility was operational the school experienced an increase in enrolment of Boys and this, in conjunction with the Free Primary Education Programme launched by the NARC government in 2003 has stretched school facilities. The school lacked enough classrooms, staff and water at the school when the community earth pan dried up.

The school like other community members relies on the community earth pan for its water needs. The earth pan is able to support the communities water needs for a period of 2 months after the rains. The community then relies on an underground water tank for its water needs during the dry season where school children have to compete with other community members for water, spending long waiting times at the tank to collect water. The school as a community is allowed to draw only 2 drums (400 Liters) of water which is not enough to support the school population.