Water for Life: A Journey of Health, Safety, and Hope in Emutetemo

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Sophia. Since then, she and the Emutetemo Community of 210 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"Since the water was constructed, I have never had any problem fetching water or safety because we now have unity, and the spring has been well protected."

Before the Spring Protection

Like many in Kenya, 54-year-old Sophia Mukone 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.

Sophia collecting water before the spring was protected.

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 Sophia, in particular, it created precarious situations daily for her and her family.

"Life was not easy before our spring was well protected. We used to overcrowd at the spring waiting for one another to fetch water, and we had long queues just to collect water because most of the water was passing through the escape channel rather than at the discharge pipe. We used to get skin irritation and rashes because the stagnant water had small insects that stung. We used to struggle to fetch water because we did not have any stairs, and sometimes we could slip and fall. Some used to get injured just because they wanted to collect water," Ms. Mukone shared.

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

Sophia in the newly 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!"

"Collecting water is now easy. I like fetching water now because the spring was well protected, and we don't have people slipping and falling because now we have stairs. The drawing area has no stagnant water, and the water is very clear now. We now have chlorine to treat our water," she said.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Sophia 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 Sophia 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 her fulfill her dreams.

"I am really proud of my farming business since we had this water, especially starting the pig and goose farming. Even though [it's] small scale, it has been really good and has encouraged me to expand it even more," Sophia concluded.

Sophia in the spring.