A Year Later: Tree Nurseries and Vegetables!

Before a dug well was installed in Ngongo Community last year, people used to walk many kilometers to collect water from scoop holes in the dry river bed, leaving them drained.

"I had to go fetch water for my family, but I returned home feeling exhausted due to the long distance and steep slopes under the burning sun," said 38-year-old farmer Titus Musyoka Maithya.

"I also had to get up early since the water was inadequate, and sometimes [my] donkey became stubborn due to the exhaustion; thus, [it would unload] the water jerrycans. The water was also contaminated, making it unsuitable for human consumption, and my family [is no longer exposed] to infections like typhoid and amoeba.”

Now that water is located closer to home, Titus finds it easier to collect.

"I am now able to get water for cooking and drinking within a short time because the shallow well is close to my home," Titus said. "I also get more time and energy to focus on activities like tree planting, cultivating kitchen gardens, and crop cultivation. This waterpoint also enables proper hygiene and sanitation (both personal and general) because it offers sufficient water.”

With water, Titus and the rest of the community are now better able to provide for their households.

“This water point has enabled me and the rest of the Self-Help Group members to establish tree nurseries and cultivate vegetables," Titus said. "Hygiene and sanitation at home has also improved, and I am no longer exposed to maladies like typhoid, dysentery, or amoeba.”

Titus pumps water for fellow community member Hellen.