Stories from the Front Lines: Communities Battling Water Scarcity

Across our work area in Southeast Kenya, the struggle for water defines daily life. For communities here, the simple act of collecting water has become anything but simple. Instead, it is a grueling, time-consuming, and sometimes dangerous task that dictates how people spend their days, limits their opportunities, and stunts their futures.

While there are common themes between each community battling water scarcity, you’ll find that each community member responds differently. Some speak of lost time and exhaustion, others of missed opportunities, and still others of dreams deferred. 

But they all share one thing in common: drought is making their struggle worse. With rainfall becoming more unpredictable and rivers running dry too quickly, communities are left with no choice but to walk farther, wait longer, and suffer more just to find water.

Kalinza: A Community’s Time Stolen by Water

In Kalinza, 240 people rely on a single well kiosk a two-hour walk away. The journey is long, exhausting, and unavoidable. But even after making the trek, there’s another hurdle: long lines of people also waiting for their turn to collect water.

The kiosk is only open in the morning hours. For people who live far away – like those in Kalinza – that means waking up incredibly early to make the long trek in time to get a place in line before the kiosk closes. They can’t establish much of a daily routine without knowing how long they’ll have to wait and when they’ll get back to their farms.

For 40-year-old Josephine Kasumo, the struggle just to collect water for the day is all-consuming.

“Water is all I think of, and it’s all that stresses me from time to time,” she shared. “I have no donkey, so I depend on borrowing other people’s donkeys to fetch water. At times when everyone is busy with their donkey, I have to carry water on my back, which is subjected to much unworthy suffering.”

The long wait times at the well are made worse by extended dry seasons. When rains fail to come, the well’s water level drops, forcing community members to spend even more time waiting for it to recharge. 

15-year-old Agnes Mutwa unwillingly sacrifices her education to ensure her household has water.

“I feel so bad about fetching water at the water source,” she said. “My school time is mostly affected, as I am forced to make time for water rather than studies or even my homework.”

“Children missing school in this community has become [the] norm now,” explained Field Officer Jefferson Mutie. “Whenever they go to fetch water in the morning and it’s a school day, it translates to them missing school [on] that particular day.”

Agnes wants to study and advance in life. But her family needs water, and girls are most often sent to collect it.

A sand dam and a protected well will transform Kalinza’s future, cutting down travel time and ensuring water is available close to home, even during drought periods. With a much shorter trip to fetch water, Agnes will be able to attend school regularly, and Josephine’s back will get a reprieve from the long hours spent walking.

Ithambwangao: The Dream of More Than Just Survival

In Ithambwangao, 500 community members face a similar fate. They walk 45 minutes each way to fetch water from a shallow well. 

“Many [community] members would love to work on their farms, but this cannot be [achieved], as they need to work on fetching water in most of their day,” said Field Officer Jefferson Mutie.

“Fetching water takes so much time,” said 12-year-old Cynthia. “We have to walk so far, often up and down hills, and sometimes we have to wait in line. The jerrycans are heavy, and if the well runs dry, we might have to go even further. Water is so important for our families, but it shouldn’t have to be such a long journey.”

Like Agnes from Kalinza, Cynthia’s water-fetching duties take time away from her education.

“Sometimes, I miss classes just to help my family,” Cynthia explained. “I want to learn and do well in school, but when I’m tired and have to study by candlelight, it’s hard. I wish we had more water close by so I could focus on my studies and not worry about carrying heavy buckets every day. Water should be for learning, not just for living.”

Even in the midst of an incredibly challenging life, Cynthia tries to make the best of it.

“When I’m sent to fetch water, I feel like a little hero on an adventure. I know it’s important for my family, but sometimes the journey feels long and tiring. Still, I try to be brave because every drop I carry is a step toward a brighter day!”

Cynthia’s optimism in the face of water scarcity is inspiring and heartbreaking in equal measures – especially because she spends much of her daily long walks dreaming of what her life could be.

“If I didn’t have to spend all that time getting water, I would play with my friends, explore the world around me, and dream big,” Cynthia said. “Having more time would mean more adventures, more laughter, and more time to be a kid.”

With so much strife centered around water in Ithambwangao, it’s no wonder that 50-year-old resident Terresia has developed such reverence for it.

“Water is life,” Terresia said. “It sustains us, nourishes our bodies, and fuels our dreams. It flows through our daily routines, from the first sip of morning coffee to the laughter shared during a family meal. Water is not just a resource; it’s a vital connection to our environment and each other. It nurtures our communities, supports our health, and enables us to thrive. Without it, life as we know it would cease to exist. For me, water represents hope, resilience, and the promise of a better tomorrow.”

Terresia’s words remind us to be grateful for the water in our own lives even while we work to spread water access among the communities who need it. But in Ithambwangao, gratitude is often overshadowed by the harsh reality of drought. When rainfall is scarce, the well can’t provide enough water for everyone, leading to rationing, longer walks, and increased hardship. 

The time spent walking takes away from everything else — including the chance to pursue personal aspirations.

For Terresia, this means giving up her hobby of basket weaving and rope-making.

“Having more time [would] allow me to continue with my basket weaving and rope-making activity, which is my hobby,” she shared.

A sand dam and hand-dug well will free her and others from this relentless burden, allowing them to focus on farming, education, and even personal fulfillment.

Muthini Upendo: When Water Comes at a Dangerous Cost

The 1,000 people of Muthini Upendo face an impossible choice: spend three hours walking to a distant well that sometimes shuts down, or collect water from an open earth dam shared with animals. Neither option is safe, and neither is sustainable.

“We live in a dry region that experiences several months of drought in a year, and when it rains, we do not have the capacity to harvest most of it; thus, water just flows through the rivers before it quickly dries up,” said 50-year-old farmer Dickson Musee.

His greatest wish is to grow his farm and provide for his family, but without reliable water, that dream is impossible to achieve.

“Life is very [difficult] without water, because we need water for our livestock, poultry, and farming,” Dickson said.

With so many possible uses for the little water community members collect, it’s no wonder that their farms are suffering. But Dickson still dreams of what he could do if he didn’t have to spend so much time fetching water.

“I would focus on farming in my garden and nurturing my drought-tolerant crops like sorghum, green grams, and millet,” Dickson said. “I would be preparing my land early for the rains.”

For 16-year-old Jemima, the water crisis is a direct threat to her education and safety.

“The roads we have here are difficult to use because they are rocky and dusty. We also have to travel long distances looking for water, and there are queues at the water point, especially during the dry season. We have to walk over long distances between thorny bushes, and we sometimes have to go and fetch water when it is dark. This area also has a lot of snakes, and snake bites are common,” she explained.

During drought, the earth dam shrinks, leaving less water for the community. People grow desperate, and conflicts arise over who gets water first.

“We often have quarrels at the water point when trying to fetch water. Other community members jump the queue when they become impatient with waiting or when water levels drop,” Jemima said.

Still, she has big dreams.

“When I grow up, I want to be a science teacher so that I can be a second parent to my students and help them with social issues,” she said.

A sand dam and well will make her dream possible. Instead of battling for water, she will be able to focus on studying, learning, and building the future she envisions.

A Future with Water

For these three communities, a reliable water source isn’t just about survival — it’s about reclaiming time, education, livelihoods, and dignity from the drudgery of endless drought.

With easy access to water:

• Agnes will spend her mornings in school instead of making exhausting treks.
• Cynthia will trade her “hero’s adventure” for time to play and study.
• Terresia will return to basket weaving, crafting, and thriving in her community.
• Dickson will cultivate a flourishing farm, providing for his family.
• Jemima will pursue her dream of becoming a science teacher, guiding the next generation.

The solution is clear: sand dams and protected wells. With this infrastructure, water will be near, accessible, and abundant — and these communities will finally have the chance to thrive.

The opportunity for change is here. The time to act is now.

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