Rehabilitation Project
The community of Kamunyu has a large population of 8,600 people who do not have access to safe, reliable water to meet their daily needs. Community members have two available water sources: open, contaminated scoop holes or an unprotected dug well. Both sources are not ideal solutions since they provide unsafe water and are hours away, but without an alternative, they have no other option.
Peter collects water from a scoop hole.
"The difficulty of accessing water from distant or challenging locations often means that individuals, particularly women and children, spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy fetching water. This labor could otherwise be directed towards education, economic activities, or rest, impacting overall community productivity and personal well-being. The strain of dealing with inadequate water supplies can lower the overall quality of life. Families might struggle with basic hygiene, affecting not just [their] health but overall comfort and dignity. Poor water access can also contribute to a general sense of insecurity and stress within the community," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.
Peter at the unprotected dug well.
16-year-old Peter is familiar with the daily struggle.
"Fetching water takes [a] long [time] because the scoop holes or dug wells are located far away. Getting water is difficult because of the rocky and steep terrain, which can make one hurt himself. I feel bad because of the long distance involved when going to fetch water," shared Peter.
"I spend most of my [time] fetching water, leading to exhaustion and lack of focus on my studies," continued Peter. "I hope to get into a good polytechnic so that I can become a plumber in urban areas."
Peter.
When we asked Peter what he would do if he didn't have to spend so much time collecting water, he said, "I would spend my time helping my parents at home with chores like taking care of cattle and goats."
"It feels bad that we do not have enough water from the scoop hole because the long periods of drought make them dry up," declared Peter.
"An impactful moment was seeing the sense of hopelessness in the community when discussing the scoop hole drying up during droughts. People expressed deep concern over what to do when their water source disappears, which underscored the immense vulnerability they face. These interactions highlighted how critical a reliable water solution is for their safety, health, and livelihoods," Alex concluded.
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.
