Clean Water Provides Metrine's Family an Income and Improved Nutrition!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Metrine. Since then, she and the Makhwabuye Community of 210 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Living with clean water brings hope! Clean water can make you not visit the hospital for a long time. Hygiene goes up while diseases go down," said Metrine.

Before the Spring Protection

Like many in Kenya, 27-year-old farmer Metrine Nufala is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, that task stole her time and negatively affected her ability to accomplish other daily tasks.

Community members attempting to collect water before the spring protection.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in her 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 and put them at risk of injuries. For Metrine, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to farm and provide food and income for her family.

"The water we previously had was contaminated. It was not easy to access due to the poor terrain that led into the spring. Many used to fall when fetching water," said Metrine.

"Getting water was risky and tiresome. Getting down into the spring was dangerous because one would risk falling. Bending too low to place the jerrican at the pipe to fill the jerrican was cumbersome. The container would not fill to the brim and one had to find [a] means of getting it filled up by using another container like a jug. Too much time would be wasted doing all this," continued Metrine.

Since the Spring Protection

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

Metrine at the protected spring.

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!"

"Fetching water right now is so much easier. Our spring is easily accessible with the staircases well placed. The discharge pipe is well placed and one can easily place a jerrican and wait for it to fill up. The water is so clean for it mixes with no other water oozing out from other points. The environment around the spring is clean and attractive," said Metrine.

"I no longer worry about safety while fetching water because the poor terrain that was my worry is no longer in existence."

"When there is an issue at the spring, the committee members inform us and we are guided on how to go about it. So far, we've not had a serious issue that would require us to call the implementor office since they instructed us to do so in case of a serious issue."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Metrine and the rest of her 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 Metrine a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. She is using this precious resource alongside her enthusiasm and courage to help fulfill her dreams.

"During the training, we were encouraged to put this water to use [to] generate some income for ourselves. I took the initiative of cultivating vegetables, especially during the dry season. I have been able to earn money from irrigating my vegetables with this water. The health of me and my family has changed in the positive. I gave birth to handsome twins courtesy of eating vegetables in plenty from my farm. The doctors advised me to do more vegetables to boost my blood level and fortunately, I had them on my farm," shared Metrine.

"I have had a garden produce foodstuff all year round. I have used the water to irrigate my garden. I have sold some of this produce and used some in my home. The money [I] got out of this has helped me settle some bills. I want to concentrate more on my farm and even expand."

Metrine collecting water.