Soap, Strength, and a Spring: How Rebecca Built a Business

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Rebecca. Since then, she and the Lusumu Community of 200 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Since the completion of the construction of the waterpoint, [it] has never experienced any issues."

Before the Spring Protection

Like many women in Kenya, 65-year-old Rebecca Nechesa is responsible for collecting water to meet daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

The spring before protection.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the 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, creating roadblocks. For Rebecca, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to collect sufficient water for her daily tasks.

"The water was unclean and unsafe for consumption since it was an open source, which was exposed to contamination by people and animals, too. Dogs could drink the same water. People scooped water while drawing, leaving the water dirty, always, making this water source unreliable and unsafe. The water was always very cloudy; algae formed at the spring, posing a health risk. Long queues at the waterpoint were experienced too, since we had to always wait for water to settle or be clean once someone in the queue [was] done fetching [water], resulting [in the] wastage of time," said Rebecca.

"Getting water was the most tiring and hectic experience one could imagine engaging in, in a typical day. Imagine leaving home for water early in the morning before performing any house chores, only to get a long queue, people quarreling at the water point, and the dirty state of the water. This was a clear indication of [the] unreliability of our waterpoint. In turn, most of the time, I would get back home [as] a frustrated mother with no water to use at home," Rebecca continued.

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 Rebecca’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

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!"

"Clean water brings about good health, which results from consuming clean and safe water. Clean water creates room for improved hygiene, that is, personal hygiene, oral hygiene, environmental hygiene, and water hygiene. This is because the water aids in all those aspects of hygiene," said Rebecca.

"Collecting water has been made quicker. The spring discharges water so fast, saving us a lot of time, unlike before, where the scooping exercise was tiring, and consumed a lot of energy and time."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Rebecca 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 Rebecca a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help fulfill dreams.

"With the new skill of soap-making gained during the hygiene training, I make use of the availability of plenty of reliable water and make soap which I sell to my fellow women during our merry-go-round meeting, getting revenue from it," shared Rebecca.

"The soap-making business has been a highlight of the past year. The business has generated returns [that] help me take care of my family well."

"As a business woman who likes exploring new ideas and opportunities, I dream of expanding my business, and access to water shall play a key role in its booming."

Rebecca, at the spring with other community members.