Rehabilitation Project
More than 300 community members in the Muthini Upendo Community struggle to access sufficient, safe drinking water. To collect water from a dug community well, they make up to a three-hour roundtrip. People are exhausted from the long, tiresome trip, leaving them with little energy for anything else.
"The current sources are located very far away from most of the community members; hence, they spend a lot of time going to the current sources and returning back home," said Field Officer Alex Koech.
16-year-old Jemima is familiar with the daily struggle.
Jemima walks to collect water.
"The roads we have here are difficult to use because they are rocky and dusty. We also have to travel long distances looking for water, and there are queues at the water point, especially during the dry season. We have to walk over long distances between thorny bushes and we sometimes have to go and fetch water when it is dark. This area also has a lot of snakes, and snake bites are common," she continued.
"Fetching water affects my studies because I have to go and help my parents draw water from the distant sources. I return home feeling exhausted and unable to do my assignments. I also attend school while feeling fatigued, and sometimes, I skip classes when I am too tired."
One of Jemima's distant sources.
Sadly, Jemima's issues do not end after making the treacherous trip to get to the water point. Since the well is overcrowded, people are anxious to collect water first, which often leads to conflicts.
"We often have quarrels at the waterpoint when trying to fetch water. Other community members jump the queue when they become impatient with waiting or when water levels drop," said Jemima.
Jemima has hopes for the future, but without access to safe, reliable water, she will not have the time and energy needed to accomplish them.
"When I grow up, I want to be a science teacher so that I can be a second parent to my students and help them with social issues," Jemima said with hope.
Jemima.
Solving the water crisis in this community will require a multifaceted system that will work together to create a sustainable water source that will serve this community for years to come.
Steps Toward a Solution
Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. Together, they decided to construct a dug well and sand dam.
Dug Well Near A Sand Dam
Once a sand dam is installed and has time to mature by gathering sand and silt, groundwater increases significantly in the entire area surrounding the project. This provides a reliable source of groundwater that wasn’t possible before. As a result, wells can be constructed to take advantage of the water stored and filtered in the collected sand.
During construction, we build a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute.
This dug-well will be connected to a sand dam to obtain water.
Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.
