Recently Updated Projects

The well at St. James ACK Church near Kakamega, Kenya has been completed and handed over to the church community.

Our implementing partner reported from the ceremony…(unedited)

“Bridge Water Project officers arrived on Sunday and it was good to have the Sunday service with the Christians of St. James ACK Enanga who came in large numbers to receive their new well officially from BWP.

The Padre of the church described the well as living water that was given by Jesus Christ, as he quotes from the bible in the book of John 4:13 and there will be no thirsty, no water borne diseases to anybody who will take this water, he further said that may God bless The Water Project abundantly for them to continue blessing the needy with clean safe water all over the w world.

One of the church members who is in charge of Church Development committee described the well as a source of income to the church members, that they are going to use water from this new water source to sprinkle their crops during dry seasons and from this they will be able to raise funds to start their own small scale businesses. He also said that this new well is going to save time to the community members for them to concentrate on other activities since they will no longer walk miles away wasting time looking for dirty water. All church members were very thankful to The Water Project for providing clean water to millions of people in the world.”

A new well has been completed and handed over to the community at Ark of Orphans Development Project.

This local, grass roots organization cares for orphans and helps place children in local foster homes.  This well project serves the resident orphans, the foster families and the surrounding community.

Our local implementing partner reported…(unedited)

“It was another beautiful day as we arrived at Ark of Orphans offices with the Orphans of Ark looking happy and anxious to be handed over clean and safe drinking water. One could tell as the parents, guardians and community members came in large numbers to witness the handover of the new well.

There was one Orphan child of Ark who gave a testimony describing the new well as their only savior. She said that they have been suffering from water related diseases i.e typhoid as a result of  taking turbid, muddy water, she also added that they had difficult time to concentrate on their daily activities i.e reading, singing in class instead there were forced to walk miles away looking for dirty water now she believes that this will never happen again with this new well near them. On behalf of  the Orphans of Ark she expressed thanks to The Water Project through Bridge Water Project for caring the lives of Orphans by providing them with safe clean water.

A testimony from the Director of Ark of Orphans who described the new well as a source of income to the Ark members since they will utilize this new well to start other new projects i.e brick making, crop growing and dairy farming in turn which will help to raise funds for other basic needs I,e food, clothes and education to Orphans of Ark. On behalf of staff and Board members of Ark he was very thankful to The Water Project through Bridge Water Project for remembering those people who are in need of clean water.”

A new well has been completed and handed over to the community living in the Masingo slum near Kakamega Kenya.

Our implementing partner reported the following from the handing over ceremony. (unedited)

“It was a happy and joyous moment to people of Masingo slum when the Bridge water staff went for a handing over. We were received with their traditional songs like ‘KANO AMAUA KANDATOLA KHUNJIRA’ meaning the flowers I got on my way.

On reaching the ceremonial place, happy faces of the aged mothers and fathers together with the young men and women and their children were waiting to hear the good news from us. We had no otherwise but to declare and let them take full maintenance and operation costs of the water system.

During the ceremony, everyone from the community wanted to say thank you for what they said was a miracle in their life. A grandmother aged 85 years and who has a swollen stomach for over 10 years said that her stomach was swollen because of drinking water from the sewage. But the interesting part of her story was that for the shortest period she has used the clean water, the swollen stomach is now reducing. The old mother said that was her golden chance to have clean water since she was born. Another lady said, “Since I begun using the clean water, the problems of itching, stomach ache and severe headache have stopped.

One man stood and said that, “We are now clean and we look like other human beings, GOD came inside you people and brought life to us.”

After the testimonies, we went towards the water system and we found that the community had begun growing vegetables as a result of the water system. Also a local bathroom had been built as a source of income for maintenance and operation of the water system. The community members pay 20 shillings per house hold per month.”

The well has been drilled and capped at the Bishop Sulumeti Girls School near Kakamega, Kenya.  The concrete pad, which helps protect the well, can be seen here being formed.  The next step will be to install the pump.

The drilling process is proceeding well at the Mama Sukuma Women’s Group water project near Kakamega, Kenya.  This well will serve the local community and a nearby health center.

The well at the St. Phillips Secondary School near Kakamega, Kenya has been completed.

The following are pictures of the handing-over ceremony.

Drilling has begun at Bishop Sulumeti Girls School.

Our implementing team recently spent the day with the community and staff of the Mama Sukuma Self Help Group in Western Kenya.  In a few weeks, this community will be receiving their new well.  To prepare them for this and to ensure the impact of the project is as great as possible, WaSH training (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) is carried out.

Here is the unedited report from our partner…

The chairlady of the group among others were there to receive us as they were really happy to get information and later get clean water which they have been eagerly waiting for long. They together appreciated the efforts Bridge water is doing to make communities get clean water so that they can concentrate on other development issues respectively. After the education as a group they agreed to pass on this information to the other community members beginning with their family members

They felt by getting water close they have more time for other projects they are involved in, when there is drought they will be able to use the water for irrigation especially planting of vegetables. The general acceptance of education is high in all communities and its something we will continue doing to make people make informed choices over their Hygiene and sanitation in relation to the clean water that Bridge water project is providing. May we live to continue to support more communities with the right  information and clean water.

Our implementing team recently spent the day with the community and staff of Ark of Orphans in Western Kenya.  In a few weeks, this community and orphanage will be receiving their new well.  To prepare them for this and to ensure the impact of the project is as great as possible, WaSH training (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) is carried out.

Here is the unedited report from our partner…

Since they work for orphans and widows they were happy to learn a bout Hygiene and sanitation since most of the orphans have never had parental guide on hygiene and sanitation so it was upon the members to take up the responsibility of teaching them and so they really need this information.
The local Administration was part of the training and she patiently listened and happy that the community members were able to learn  skills on hygiene and sanitation so that they can in turn pass the information to the  other community members. The proposed water point is central at a market place called Ebuyangu market and so the other larger community would benefit too. The watsan committee has a bigger role to play but they assured us that the local administration would  be included in the decision making .

Our implementing team recently spent the day with the community of St. James Inanga church in Western Kenya.  In a few weeks, this community will be receiving their new well.  To prepare them for this and to ensure the impact of the project is as great as possible, WaSH training (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) is carried out.

Here is the unedited report from the team…

The Ack church and community members came in large numbers for the Education and were willing to learn on Hygiene and sanitation. From the discussions and the picture codes most of them related to the pictures and discussed freely  on the unhealthy ways they live . This made the discussions more participatory and open.

The church leadership appreciated the education and willing to have  such sessions to the rest of the congregation and community at large since they felt most of the responsibility was in their hands. The watsan committee had already been formed we helped them to understand their responsibility as a committee. Both members appreciated the drilling of clean water at church compound since it was central for many community members.