A Year Later: Ingenious Water Use Leads to Food!

Barack J., 13, recalled what life was like for him before his community's spring was protected last year. "I remember I could not drink directly from the source because of the conditions of where we used to fetch water from. I had to use a cup and during the heavy rainy seasons, I had to go boil water at home. Sometimes it became a challenge due to [a] lack of firewood."

But life is much simpler for Barack and the other community members in Emutetemo now.

"The new spring came with a pipe that you just wash your hands and get a drink very, very easily. I usually do that every day after lunch. I just pass by the spring on my way to school."

Having ready access to water from the spring year-round has made a difference for Barack, even in obtaining food. "Now, I have clean water to drink after eating and also the spring helps me to get food."

A tradition in Kenya, as well as in other parts of Africa, when the rainy season begins, is to catch termites escaping the flooding ground to fry and eat.

In the video below, you can see Barack and his friends collecting water from the spring to flood the ground to simulate the rainy season so they can collect termites to eat. Ingenious!