Susan's Has Peace of Mind and Energy to Make Improvements!

Your gift unlocked Susan's potential for a brighter future last year. Since then, she and the 140-resident Mwituwa Community 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 you're no longer worried about the health of your family. Clean water gives you peace of mind and you can focus your energy doing other important things," said Susan.

Children in the community enjoy clean water!

Before the Spring Protection

Like many women in Kenya, 50-year-old Susan Andayi is responsible for collecting water to meet her and her family's daily water needs. Before last year's water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her health.

Susan at the spring before it was protected.

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, creating roadblocks. For Susan, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to complete her daily tasks and make progress on her farm.

"Last year, before this project was implemented, the area around the spring used to be very slippery and muddy. Anytime you had to fetch water, you were forced to step into stagnant water at the waterpoint. This made children and adults hate going to the spring. Drawing water from this water point was difficult. You had to carry a jug to help you fetch water from the source. The source was hidden between the rocks, making it difficult to fetch water. Long queues at the water point were the order of the day. Fetching water wasn't easy, so one had to make the queue to give ample time to the one fetching water," said Susan.

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

Susan (right) showing a TWP staff member her fields.

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!"

"Worrying about water is now in my past," exclaimed Susan.

"Now I can access water with so much ease. Just placing a jerrican beneath the pipe has made my work easier. Now fetching water has been made easier; there is no more carrying jugs to the spring [and] no more wasting time at the water point. The stairway has made the terrain much friendlier to us and [our] children. The fence has secured our water from contamination. We feel safe drinking water from this waterpoint."

"My health has changed greatly since this project was implemented."

"Before, I never liked chlorine, and most of the time, I used to drink untreated water. This made me and my family prone to waterborne diseases like typhoid, diarrhea, and stomach issues. After the training, we were taught how to use chlorine in [the] right dose. Since that day, I have embraced the dosage and have seen the difference."

The Future is Looking Bright!

You made a difference for Susan 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 Susan 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'm a farmer. This water point has helped me grow vegetables throughout the year. The water has helped me irrigate my vegetable nursery every day; this has really increased my income. I no longer buy vegetables during the dry seasons; instead, people come to me to buy [them]. It has also helped me save a lot of time, which I use on my sweet potato farm. This farming has enabled me to double my income. The income I have used to pay for [my] daughter's college fees. I'm greatful because I have not taken loans the way I used to do," declared Susan.

"My future dream is to become a great vegetable supplier in this region. I want to embrace the modern technology of [a] greenhouse. In the greenhouse, I will be able to moderate temperatures, and this will help [me] not rely on the seasons. This water point will help me achieve my dreams because I want to pump water from the source to my farm to ease the irrigation process," Susan concluded.

Susan tending her crops.