A Well of Hope: A Journey to Health and Opportunity for Charles

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Charles Okumu. Since then, he and the Emusoma Community of 280 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"I no longer worry about safety when fetching water because this water is always clean, and I have never fallen sick since I started using it."

Before the Well Installation

In Kenya, 69-year-old Charles Okumu is responsible for providing for his family. Due to his age, collecting water from the distant spring was incredibly challenging. He often had to rely on family members or pay other community members to bring the water he needed to keep his farm alive.

Community members traveled to the distant spring before their well was installed.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Charles, in particular, he had no option but to watch his family and community members struggle and risk injury and illness to collect water because it was too difficult for him to do so.

"Before this project, we [faced] a number of challenges, including deaths. My wife and grandchildren used to travel far to get water from a partially protected spring. This involved crossing tarmac (highway) roads where a number of people were knocked down by rushing cars and motorbikes, and lost their lives while in search of water. We suffered from waterborne diseases due to dirty water that we drank from contaminated sources, which made me spend a lot on my medication and for my family members. Because of my old age, I used to pay people to get me water in most cases, and this really drained my income," Charles shared.

Since the Well Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and its future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future for Charles.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

Now, with the new waterpoint, Charles can fetch water! He doesn't have to rely on family members or friends to bring him water.

"I like fetching water here because the water is clean, easily accessible, close to my home, and above all, the source is reliable," Charles shared.

"I now enjoy good health, and I am able to save money that I used to waste on medication and invest it in income-generating activities," he continued.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Charles and the rest of his community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Charles a crucial tool for achieving his dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, his enthusiasm and courage will help him fulfill his dreams.

"I have accomplished a lot due to water availability. For example, I have invested in farming where I grow vegetables and use it for food, and sell [the] others. I have directed the drainage in my vegetable farm, where the wastewater waters the vegetables even before I water [them] myself. I am proud of the fact that I was the only person who was able to supply vegetables to the community throughout the year. This was made possible by the availability of clean and reliable water," Charles boasted.

"My dream is to ensure that my community develops economically through farm produce and other income-generating activities, which will be made possible through [the] reliable water that we have," Charles concluded.