Kimala Community Campaign for Water

I hope you'll consider joining me to fund a water project for Kimala Community. With your gifts and your help rallying support, we can provide clean, safe and reliable water to Kimala Primary School and sorounding community. in Mata ward, Taveta Constituency, Taita Taveta County, Republic of Kenya, Africa.
1. Background Information
Kimala village is in Mata ward, Taeta Sub County, in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. It has an estimated number of four hundred and eighty (560) households and a population of over two thousand (2,500) people. Residents of this area have constantly experienced acute water supply challenges, despite there being unreliable water pipe line, underground water ways and aquifers fed by Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Alongside the general population and livestock, Kimala village has primary and preprimary schools namely, Kimala Primary School and Kimala primary preschool. The area also has churches, mosques and local shops located along Kimala-Rekeke road.

2. Project Description

The entire project area lies in Kimala village which is in Mata ward, Taveta Sub County, Taita Taveta County, Kenya on a piece of land donated by Kimala Primary School community. The school did hydrological survey but due to lack of funds, it was not possible to drill a borehole. The intention was to drill a borehole and get water for use by the school, local use and establish a water kiosk and a dedicated free line for the community.

However, due to unavailability of funds it was not possible to proceed with the project. The demand for water from homesteads is high and some community members would wish distribution to their individual homes. This then will require sinking of the borehole, construct an elevated storage tanks, a more powerful solar pump, a water kiosk and distribution pipes to the nearby homesteads.

The project involves, installation of a solar powered water pump, a 10,000 litres overhead tank, laying of distribution pipes, a distribution chamber, and water kiosk.

3. Problem statement

Due to climate change and adverse human activities on our catchment areas, the surface water source has diminished over time; this combined with the increase in population has led to the existing water supply not being sufficient to the residents of Kimala area.

4. Project Justification

The community is forced to walk in search of water for domestic and livestock use; this translates to a lot of time wasted in search of water. The water pipeline is unreliable to the primary and preprimary schools, the surrounding institutions and community and during dry season the community goes without water for a long time. The Kimala Water Borehole project will therefore enhance economic and social development through access to a reliable source of clean water for the community. It will also improve health and nutrition of the community members through vegetable garden farming.

5. Project Goal

To promote economic and social empowerment of Kimala residents through improved access to clean water of the entire community, including public utilities, through sustainable borehole water supply.

6. Project Specific objectives

7. Project implementation strategy

Step I: Public Participation

Public participation, which is also a constitutional requirement, will be done to ensure ownership of the project by the community from the start to the end. Through involvement of the school management and local village elders, mobilization will be done, and the community will elect a project committee which will be representing the interest of the larger community in the project. The project committee with work together with the school management to realize the project.

The project committee will make necessary plans for initialization of the project and the appointed site. Members of the Committee shall serve as volunteers.

Step II: Project Designs and Site Preparation

The project design will be done by the technical water officer attached to Taveta Sub County, under the supervision of water engineer from the water and sanitation department.

The community, through the school management and project committee, will facilitate the preliminary project site preparation.

Step iii: Project Handover

To ensure project sustainability, the Tavevo water and Sewerage Company will offer technical capacity building and support services to the community water project management committee which will be in charge of the project.

Step iv: Project Evaluation

The project committee will carry out a summative evaluation of the project to find out whether the objectives were met. In addition, they will ensure that all necessary standards are adhered to as per the County and Country policies.

8. Project Duration- 6 months

The project will be implemented in a period of five months within which all the stated works will be done to completion and another one month for project testing, assessment and report writing.

9. Project Beneficiaries.

The project is intended to benefit the Kimala residents, public institutions and amenities e.g. health facilities, Kimala primary and preprimary schools, churches, shopping centres and livestock.

Approximately a total of 2,500 beneficiaries (both male and female), and about 1,800 livestock units will stand to benefit.

10. Project ownership and Community participation

The project will be owned by the Community. During project implementation the community will participate in unskilled labour jobs (trenching, backfilling and bush clearing) and skilled labour (pipe fitting and masonry work) over and above this, the project committee will have community representatives to ensure that the interests of the residents are factored in throughout the project implementation cycle.

You and I can change that. Please make a donation and then help me spread the word.