Rehabilitation Project
Like most communities in this semi-arid area of Southeast Kenya, the Itumani Community faces a daily water crisis. The 2,000 people in the community lack a reliable, safe water source for their daily needs. They resort to collecting water from a faraway pool of water that is open to various types of contamination, putting their lives at risk each time they consume it.
"The terrain around Itumani village is generally dry and dusty, making water collection challenging, especially during droughts. The area is also hilly and rocky, and the lack of nearby water sources means that water must often be transported from distant locations. This increases the difficulty of collecting water, particularly during hot weather, leading to physical exhaustion and potential health risks for residents involved in water fetching," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.
The earth dam.
"Residents frequently suffer from diarrheal diseases, cholera, and typhoid due to the contamination in the earth dam," he continued.
When community members do not collect water from the earth dam, they collect it from a faraway borehole well, which has major issues.
"The high salt content in the borehole water has led to increased dehydration, particularly among children and the elderly. Water from the borehole kiosk is expensive, putting financial strain on households, especially because income is acquired primarily from farming, which is adversely affected by drought. Many families struggle to afford enough water for their daily needs," Alex continued.
"Moreover, drinking saline water from the borehole has caused gastrointestinal discomfort, including bloating and stomach cramps. Some community members also experience skin irritations and rashes, likely due to bathing in contaminated water," Alex said.
Esther near the earth dam water source.
"Water is very important to me because I need it for farming, drinking, cooking, hygiene, and my livestock need water to survive," shared 57-year-old farmer Esther Mutheu.
Since Esther and her fellow community members rely on water for survival. When the water is contaminated, it causes issues that steal their valuable resources. She recalled a recent incident in which a child in the community became ill due to drinking dirty water from the earth dam.
"A recent instance involved a child who became ill after drinking water from the contaminated earth dam. The child experienced severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, which led to dehydration. The family was deeply concerned and had to rush the child to a local health clinic for treatment. The child was given medication, but it was expensive," said Ms. Mutheu.
Esther's children have also gotten sick when they've consumed the water.
"Whenever my child gets sick, it strains my income because I depend on farming, which is mostly affected by drought. My child has to skip school as they take medication, and I also will not go to my farm or take care of my cattle because I have to look after the well-being of my child," she shared.
"It is a very sad situation but sometimes the earth dam is the only water source to draw water for cooking or drinking. The water causes water-related infections, which are expensive to treat," she concluded.
Esther must consistently attend to her farm to provide food and a livelihood for her family. However, illness is possible every day she and her family consume the contaminated water. Until her community has a water source to collect safe water that will not make them ill, the future is always at risk.
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.
