Doreen’s Story 

Doreen is trapped. 

The rain stopped coming months ago. Her rainwater containers have been dry ever since. And with it being so dry in Southeast Kenya where she lives, only one option remains.

Every day, Doreen lifts her water container onto her shoulder and trudges for miles and miles — at least two hours each way — to the nearest riverbed. Along the way, she meets others. Some have donkeys to carry multiple containers of water at a time, but Doreen lacks that luxury.

The bushes on the path hide venomous snakes. The sun beats down on her head and shoulders. She sweats out what little water remains in her body. And still, it takes so long to reach the river.

And once she gets there, it’s time to wait in line. After all, about 3,000 people live in this community alone, so everyone’s rainwater dried up long ago. 

With only one usable scoop hole available, Doreen usually wastes at least an hour awaiting her turn to scoop out brown, salty water. Not only is this water salty, but it’s also contaminated by animal excrement, being open to the elements as it is. No one should be forced to drink it. 

Once Doreen’s jerrycan is brimming with dirty water, it’s time to make the journey home. 

But even if she makes good time, she won’t be rewarded with rest. Instead, her prize will be another trip to the scoop hole. Back to the queue. Back into the heat. Because one jerrycan of water is not enough to water her crops, let alone to feed her children, launder clothes, or bathe. 

As a mother, all Doreen wants is to care for her children. To see them educated, and happy, and doing better than she ever did. But by the time she gets back home, that unavoidable journey has stolen most of her energy for the day.

“Water is life. Without water, life is very difficult,” Doreen says.

“It is difficult to take care of my children when there is no water for my crops, which makes it hard to feed them or [pay] school fees. Water is crucial for us because we need it for drinking, cooking, irrigating our crops, and also for our animals.”

Water is crucial, as Doreen said. But right now, the daily quest for water has stolen all of Doreen’s time and energy. And with no other water options for miles around, the only way Doreen can keep herself and her family alive is to keep going back to that disgusting scoop hole every day, no matter what.

Doreen doesn’t need a miracle. All she needs is water.

And, unfortunately, Doreen isn’t alone in this situation. The 3,000 other people in Syandu are all living similar stories. 

“Fetching water during the drought period is an exacting task,” said Lucy M., a neighbor of Doreen’s. Her journey to the riverbed is more than three miles long, similar to Doreen’s.

“I have to walk on dusty, rocky pathways under the scorching sun. I return home too tired to focus on other activities like household chores and farming. I have to use the little drawn water sparingly, which adversely affects hygiene and sanitation here at home, let alone irrigating crops. There are long queues at the water point during the drought period because we have to wait for the scoop hole to replenish itself as the water level drops.”

And less water for crop irrigation and animal rearing translates to less food for everyone in Syandu.

“It takes nine hours to walk five kilometers to the scoop hole and come back home, thanks to the long queues,” said Julius K., another neighbor of Doreen’s. 

“The water scarcity situation is rampant every year, and the situation repeats itself every time. The land in our area dries up, becomes bare, and the soil becomes dusty.” 

During the dry season, the land in Syandu transforms. Dry and cracked, it makes farming nearly impossible. Without water, nothing can grow. Farmers in Syandu can only watch as their soil turns to dust in their hands.

Julius continued: “My animals deteriorate health-wise because they have no pasture or enough water to drink. They are not able to drink water every day. The few crops we are able to plant during the wet season quickly dry up while some are stunted. My younger children and I have to bear with [the] hunger during most times in the drought period.”

The people of Syandu tried to solve this problem on their own. 

“The community members have sought the help of the local government and well-wishers to address the water scarcity in the area, but they have received little support, which has not been fruitful in the fight against water scarcity,” said Field Officer Alex Koech from our Southeast Kenya team.

But community members heard about the benefits of a sand dam and shallow well in a neighboring community. When they finally contacted our Southeast Kenya team members, they found people willing to listen.

“Hearing about their daily routine was pitiful because fetching water is the main agenda of the day during most times of the year,” Alex said. “The return home each day exhausted [them], and [they were] unable to put their energy [into] ways of improving themselves.”

Syandu’s community members have already started work on building a sand dam in hopes that their project gets funded. They’re gathering large stones and pounding rocks into gravel. They’re transporting materials handful by handful in the hopes of building better futures for themselves and future generations.

Now, all they need is your help.

The rains are coming. If we act now, we can help Doreen’s community build a lasting water source before another dry season returns.

But we must raise the funds by April 30th to catch the next rains. If we miss this window, the water will come and go, and Syandu will face another season of drought, exhaustion, and hunger.

Doreen doesn’t need a miracle. She needs water. And today, you can help provide it.

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