Rehabilitation Project
The Kasithyu Community is home to 4,000 people who do not have a nearby water source. It takes community members over an hour to travel to a distant well to collect water. They often wait in line for six hours, and then they have to make the trek back. This arduous, draining process limits the amount of water they can bring home and steals their time.
"The waterpoints in the area are not sustainable because they run low and dry up as the drought season progresses. The borehole water kiosks are closed during most days of the week due to water shortage, and when water is available, every community member comes to fetch water, leading to overcrowding. They also need to purchase the water at 5 Ksh per 20-liter jerrycan, which is costly considering that residents are mostly farmers who reap very little from their farms due to drought," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.
Duncan.
Twelve-year-old Duncan feels the effects of the water crisis in his community.
"The waterpoint is located far away, and there are always long queues, especially during the drought period. It feels bad that we do not have enough water because we experience several months of drought in our area," said Duncan.
Duncan is used to water collection, consuming most of his day - he spends up to five hours each day fulfilling his responsibility.
"I spend most of my free time at home going to fetch water rather than studying," Duncan said.
"Understanding that the community members spend most of their daily lives fetching water was a pitiful situation because school-going children end up performing poorly in school and their parents reap very little from their farms; hence, they cannot support education or provide daily meals," said Field Officer Alex.
The faraway waterpoint.
Duncan will have difficulty building a brighter future without the time and opportunity to attend school, but until he has a reliable, nearby water source, he has no choice but to make the long, difficult trek each day.
We asked Duncan what he would do if he didn't have to spend so much of his time collecting water. He said, "I would spend my time playing with friends or revising what was taught in school."
Duncan collecting water.
Installing a well in combination with a nearby sand dam will bring water closer to Duncan's home, hopefully allowing him the time and energy he needs to attend school, enjoy his childhood, and build a brighter future.
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.
Note: Our proposed water point can only serve 300 people per day. We are working with the community to identify other water solutions that will ensure everyone has access to safe and reliable drinking water.
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.
