A Year Later: Yavili Hand-Dug Well

A year ago, generous donors helped build a hand-dug well for the Yavili Self-Help Group in Kenya. Because of these gifts and our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partner Titus Mbithi with you.

This hand-dug well has supported the community with water that has improved lives. It has brought clean water so much closer, from an initial seven kilometers away to under one kilometer. Thanks to the proximity of clean water, community members are able to spend more time earning an income and caring for their families.

And thanks to the surplus of water an adjacent sand dam provides, this hand-dug well is able to pump clean, safe water from the catchment area. Though community members were trained on water handling and water treatment, we've noticed that they would benefit from a review.

We met two community members at the well; Mrs. Nduku Kyalo and 8-year-old Manzi Muthike, both who highlight their gratefulness for finally having water nearby.

Mrs. Nduku Kyalo

Mrs. Kyalo said that she would practically "sleep in rivers looking for water! But since the project implementation, access to water has become easy, providing clean water from a trusted source and from a short distance." Women like Mrs. Kyalo and children like Manzia are still the family members most responsible for water, and this change has made their lives much easier.

Mwanzia added, "Now we fetch water nearer to our home, I usually run to the well. It takes me less than ten minutes to get back home, compared to the initial one hour which used to be tiring!" Now that Mwanzia saves time and energy, he can apply that to his academic studies at school.

Mrs. Kyalo pumps clean water for Mwanzia and his friend, just to show us how great the well still works.

And as the adjacent sand dam continues to mature through more rainy seasons, it will build up more sand and store even more clean water available at the well throughout the driest of months. This isn't your average water project; it is not only transforming hundreds of lives for the better, but is transforming the environment from dry to fertile.

The Water Project and our partners are committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by monthly donors, allows us to visit communities up to four times a year. Read more about our program and how you can help.