Water Creates Dreams of a Tree Nursery for Kithumbi!

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Kithumbi. Since then, she and the Kanyululu Community of 600 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

Before the Sand Dam Installation

Like many women in Kenya, 71-year-old Kithumbi Kitheka is responsible for collecting water to meet her and her family’s daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, that task stole her time and negatively affected her ability to fulfill her daily responsibilities.

Collecting water from the spring before the sand dam installation.

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 trying to collect sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks and sometimes preventing them from earning a livable income. This negatively impacted their ability to care for their families. For Kithumbi, in particular, it lessened her opportunity to focus on her farm and perform daily hygiene practices.

"It was hard to get water to my home because of the steep hill and l had to walk for about two kilometers to get to the nearest shallow well. At times, I would have to walk deep into the nearby forest to draw water from the springs during extreme drought periods. I would only make a single trip and therefore I had to use the water for basic purposes like cooking and drinking. Therefore it was difficult to perform regular hygiene duties or household chores. Fetching water also took most of my time; thus, focusing on farming was hard," shared Kithumbi.

"It was exacting and time-consuming to draw water from the shallow wells or springs because they are several kilometers from my home. The steep hills, dusty roads, and scorching arid sun also made the situation worse. I would return home too tired to till my land or perform household chores."

Since the Sand Dam Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Kithumbi’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality for her, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Kithumbi collects water from the well that uses the water conserved by the sand dam.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people like Kithumbi to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"I am happy because this water point is very close to my home and I can fetch water easily. It only takes less than 30 minutes to draw water and return home. In the past, I would spend about 3 hours fetching water for use at home," said Kithumbi.

"I am not worried at all because I do not have to go into the forest to draw water from springs. I am also not walking several kilometers alone to draw water from the previous shallow wells because this water point is nearby."

"Drinking clean water improves our health because cases of water-related infections, like stomach upsets, have reduced unlike when we did not have a sand dam and we had to drink water from scoop holes in the distant seasonal river."

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Kithumbi 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 Kithumbi a crucial tool for her life: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help her accomplish great things in the future.

"We have been able to set up a tree nursery and distribute the tree seedlings among the group members who irrigate using water from this source. We are also using the water for construction at home and making soap that we sell to other community members," said Kithumbi.

"I want to set up my own tree nursery, so that I can be selling the tree seedlings to fellow community members and earn an income, thanks to [the] constant water availability from this water point."

Kithumbi watering plants.