Sarah No Longer Worries about Water-related Illnesses!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Sarah. Since then, she and the Shirugu Community of 280 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"The best thing about living with clean water is that there is an improvement in the quality of our lives. This means that access to safe water leads to better health for everyone by reducing the risk of getting waterborne diseases."

Before the Spring Protection

Like many women in Kenya, 28-year-old farmer Sarah Wanjala is responsible for collecting water to meet her 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. Sarah, in particular, had difficulty staying healthy, and collecting water was extremely challenging.

"I personally had a lot of trouble fetching water before this water spring was finished because it was so muddy. Once, I broke my jerrican after falling while getting water. The frustration was overwhelming," said Sarah.

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 Mitchelle’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!"

"I really love fetching water here because this spring has enough water flowing. Therefore, water is available throughout the year, even during the dry seasons. Additionally, water is easily drawn, and I can't fall because of the provision of stairs. It takes me less than 15 minutes to do a round trip of water collection. It is definitely faster than before since there is a pipe making it easier to fetch," said Sarah.

Not only is the water easier to collect, but knowing it is protected also puts Sarah at ease.

"The water is now clean and safe to use, so concerns about contamination from animals or pollutants have been eliminated. Additionally, the time and effort spent walking long distances to collect water has drastically reduced, making life easier. With reliable access to safe water, there’s peace of mind knowing that the community’s health is protected and we no longer have to face the struggles we once did."

The Future is Looking Bright!

You made a difference for Sarah and the rest of her community a year ago. 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 Sarah 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 really increased my production in vegetable farming. Just like now, we are in the dry season. I am still growing my vegetables because I have water for irrigation since water is easy to fetch and access," said Sarah.

"My dream for the future is to increase my production on the farm, both in crop growing and animal keeping. With the presence of clean and reliable water, I will surely be able to achieve my dreams."