Clean Water, Clear Future: Shirleen’s New Chapter

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Shirleen. Since then, she and the Shinoko Community of 300 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Clean water has made me love doing chores at home. I enjoy washing my clothes with my younger sister."

Before the Spring Protection

Like many young girls in Kenya, 8-year-old Shirleen is responsible for collecting water to meet daily water needs. This task stole her time before last year’s water intervention and negatively affected her.

A child collected water from the previous water source.

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 Shirleen, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to concentrate at school and put time into learning.

"It was always hard for me to get into the spring. There were some stones down there that injured my leg one day. The water was not so clean during those days. We, as children, were limited to fetching from this waterpoint that only had dirty water," said Shirleen.

"My mum and other adults would go in search of water during the dry season, as we children could be left home to care for our younger [siblings]."

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

Shirleen 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!"

"I like the easy access, especially the staircase. I no longer fear getting injured. I just place the container and carry it home when it fills up," said Shirleen.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Shirleen 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 Shirleen 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.

"I have been able to concentrate at school knowing that there is enough water at home and I won't miss my mum when I come back home; she will not have gone in search of water. My mum has enough time to help me with my homework whenever I arrive at home," said Shirleen.

Since Shirleen can attend school regularly and has homework help now, she dreams about the future.

"When I grow up, I want people to call me Teacher Shirleen!"