Giving Update: Mwituwa Community, Shikunyi Spring

After the protection of Shikunyi Spring brought Mwituwa community members together last year, they are so willing and ready to work together in unity on any issue that affects them. Previously, it was not easy to mobilize the community members to come together for any purpose, but no so today.

Mwituwa community members have embraced their project and are still happy about it.

Thanks to the protected spring, women can attend to other business unlike before, when much time was spent on fetching water and caring for their coughing babies who got sick from the dirty water. Instead, the women have been able to channel the recovered time and finances from the money spent on medication and hospital visits into more valuable and productive things. Today, they have time, energy, and money to work on merry-go-round funds within their village and their own small businesses.

"The spring area has become much cleaner compared to when the spring was not protected. The place used to be so muddy, especially during the rainy season, but nowadays we can access the spring even during the rainy season. The steps the artisan placed have really helped us in accessing the spring," said Margaret Wangare, a community member who depends on Shikunyi Spring for her family's daily water needs.

Margaret with Christine Mugala

"There used to be some water animals [such as leeches, insects, and others] in our spring that could stick on one fetching water. These animals could penetrate through your skin and onto your body and could cause death. Since the spring was protected, these animals have not been seen around and such cases are unheard of."

"Sanitation in our homes has [also] improved since my very own mother-in-law had no dish rack but after the training, she constructed one and she dug one more compost pit," Margaret said.

Christine Mugala

9-year-old Christine Mugala was also happy to share how the project has impacted her personally.

"The spring is so near my home, [so] I fetch water so easily when I come from school with my friends. Before it was protected, my mum used to fear that those water animals could enter me so she rarely used to send me to fetch water. I am really enjoying [it now]," she said.

Field Officer Lillian Achieng with Margaret and Christine