Water Makes it Easier for Joshua to Care for His Family!

December, 2025

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Joshua. Since then, he and the Alufu Community of 630 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"I like fetching water here because the spring is nearby, the water is clean, and it is easy to get."

Before the Spring Installation

Like many individuals in Kenya, 56-year-old farmer Joshua Aluga is responsible for collecting water to meet his daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task consumed his time and had a negative impact on him and his family.

The spring before protection.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Joshua, in particular, it lessened his opportunity to grow his farm.

"Last year, we had problems getting water because the spring we used was in a bad state, contaminated, and the water flow had reduced due to diversion. Sometimes there was not enough safe water for everyone," shared Joshua.

Since the Spring Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Joshua’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"Since the project started, my health has improved because we now have clean water to drink and use at home. I can cook, wash, and keep my family healthy without worrying about getting sick from dirty [water]," Joshua reported.

"Having clean water makes life easier and safer," Joshua exclaimed.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Joshua and the rest of his community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Joshua a crucial tool for achieving his dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, his enthusiasm and courage will help Joshua fulfill his dreams.

"In the past year, having reliable water has helped us in many ways. We have been able to take care of our farms and do construction work . The water has made these projects much easier and more successful," said Joshua.

"I hope to grow my farm, support my children in school, and build a better home. With clean water nearby, it is easier because we have more time and better health to work and plan for the future," he continued.

"My dream is to improve my life and my family’s life by starting a small business and farming. Having access to clean water makes it easier because I spend less time fetching water and can focus on my work and goals," Joshua said.

Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Alufu Community maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Alufu Community – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.

Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 630 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Dec 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 12/08/2025

Project Features


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Community Profile

The 630 residents of the Alufu Community struggle to access safe water. Their primary water source is an unprotected local spring. Although it provides plenty of water, even during the dry season, it is contaminated and causes those who consume it to suffer from water-related illnesses.

"I remember visiting [the] hospital on several occasions when I used water from this spring. There's no single month that ended without me going to [the] hospital. Early this year, I remember getting myself into [the] hospital only to realize that I had typhoid that took [too] long to be treated. A lot of my precious time was wasted, and my parents wasted a lot of money that was to pay my school fees on medication. I really got a challenge catching up with my fellow students, and my academic performance was really affected," shared 13-year-old Elizabeth.

"After I was treated, the doctor advised my parents to ensure that they boil [our] drinking water or treat it with chlorine before drinking, and that is what we are doing to date," continued Elizabeth.

Without the proper protection, the spring's water isn't adequately filtered. The water might look "safe," but it is not, and those who consume it often become sick. The negative impacts on their health steal their energy and resources. Children's futures are at risk because so much time is spent being ill, like Elizabeth, they are losing crucial learning time.

Water quality is not the only issue with the spring. The water diverts underground, and not all of the water makes it to the makeshift pipe, significantly decreasing the volume the spring can produce. To collect water, people are forced to either stand in it or perch on rocks on the side of the spring, which is especially difficult and dangerous during the rainy season when the rocks are slippery and the area becomes muddy.

The spring's one positive trait is it never runs dry, so people from surrounding communities come during the dry season to find water because their sources have dried up. Understandably, this makes the spring overcrowded, stealing everyone's valuable time and adding strain to the water source.

"I remember there was a day I was at the spring for one full hour; the reason being that the spring [was] overcrowded because most of the springs around go dry during [the] dry season. A lot of water was diverted, leading to low discharge and time wasting," shared 35-year-old farmer Pauline Wanyama, shown below, collecting water while other community members wait their turn.

Community members have tried their best to remedy the spring's issues without success.

"The water users have tried several times to repair the spring, but since they do not have the person with knowledge on spring protection, all has been in vain. They have also improvised stones that are acting like stairs to help them get into the spring during [the] rainy season to avoid injuries," said Field Officer Victor Musemi.

"The proposed water solution will ensure that community members are accessing clean and safe water free from any contamination because all routes of contamination will be blocked. To add on that, it will be easier for water users to access the water point because there is [the] provision of [a] staircase [so] no more injuries," continued Victor.

"Indeed, water is life! Without clean, safe water, nothing can be achieved in life. To me, water is everything because there's nothing I can do without water. I fully depend on water to survive and carry [out] personal duties," Pauline said, describing why protecting the spring in this community is critical.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Chlorine Dispensers

Installing chlorine dispensers is an important piece of our spring protection projects. Protecting a spring provides community members with an improved water source, but it doesn't prevent contamination once the water is collected and stored. For example, if the water is clean and the container is dirty, the water will become contaminated.

We ensure that each chlorine dispenser is filled with diluted chlorine on a consistent schedule so that people can add pre-measured drops to each container of water they collect. That way, community members can feel even more confident in the quality of their water.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Project Updates


December, 2024: Alufu Community Spring Protection Complete!

Your contribution has made access to clean water for the Alufu Community possible!

We transformed their spring into a flowing source of naturally filtered water. A chlorine dispenser was installed to provide added protection and we trained the community on improved sanitation and hygiene practices. Together, these components will unlock the opportunity for community members to thrive!

"This new water point is of great impact in my life. I have been a frequent visitor in [the] hospital due to drinking contaminated water but now things have changed as the water is safe for my health. The aspect of buying drugs will no longer occur in my life. Which will save a lot of my income," said 30-year-old farmer Annet Kageha.

Annet celebrating clean water!

"The new water point is going to bring change to me and my generation. The easy access of the water source will enable us [to] collect water without getting injured and also save on time that was otherwise being wasted in queuing. A great future is ahead of [me] with this new water point," Annet continued.

Children were just as excited as adults about clean water access!

Juliet splashing water.

"This new water point will ease the work of my parents; this will give them enough time to concentrate on income-generating activities. I will do my homework on time and attend morning preps without absconding any lesson," said 13-year-old Juliet.

Preparing for Spring Protection

Community members worked together to source all locally available construction materials for the spring. These included bricks, sand, stones, and fencing poles. Because people have to carry most items by hand, the material-collection process can take anywhere from a few weeks to months.

Community members collecting materials.

When the community was ready, we delivered the remaining construction materials, including cement, plastic tarps, and hardware. Then, our construction artisan and field officers deployed to the spring to begin work.

Protecting the Protecting the Spring: A Step-by-Step Process

First, we excavated the spring area. This includes digging a drainage channel below the spring and several runoff diversion channels above and around the spring to help divert surface contaminants away.

To ensure community members could still access water throughout the construction process, we also dug temporary channels around the construction site to allow water to continue to flow. Excavation created space for setting the spring's foundation.

Excavating the spring.

After establishing the base, made of thick plastic, wire, concrete and waterproof cement, we started brickwork to build the spring walls and stairs. Once the walls were tall enough, we began one of the most crucial steps: setting the discharge pipe. The discharge pipe needs to be positioned low enough so the water level never rises above the spring's eye, yet high enough to allow room for the average collection container (20-liters) to sit beneath the pipe without making contact, to prevent cross-contamination.

Setting the discharge pipe.

If we place the pipe too high, back pressure could force water to emerge elsewhere. Too low, and community members would not be able to access the water easily.

In coordination with the walls and stairs, we cemented stones on both sides of the spring's drainage channel. These stones discourage people and animals from standing in that area, which could cause soil erosion and a clogged drainage area.

Plastering the spring walls.

We then cemented and plastered the spring walls. These finishing layers reinforce the brickwork and prevent water in the reservoir from seeping through. In turn, enough pressure builds to push water out through the discharge pipe.

As the walls cured, we finished the stairs and installed tiles beneath the discharge pipe. The tiles protect the concrete from the falling water's erosive force.

We redirected the temporary diversion channels back into the reservoir box and closed all other exits to force water through only the discharge pipe. We filled the reservoir area with the large, clean stones arranging them in layers like a well-fitting puzzle. We covered the rocks with thick plastic and piled enough dirt on top to compensate for future settling.

Community members transplanted grass to help prevent erosion and the collection area was fenced. The fence prevents people or animals from walking in the area above the spring, as compaction of this area can potentially compromise water quality.

Community members plant grass to protect their new waterpoint.

The construction process took about two weeks of work and patience. As soon as the spring was ready, people got the okay from their local field officers to fetch water.

We officially gave ownership of the waterpoint to the Alufu Community.

Happiness and thanksgiving flowed in all directions!

Training on Health, Hygiene, and More

Together with the community, we found their preferred date for training. When the day arrived, facilitators Victor Musemi and Samuel Simidi deployed to the site to lead the event. 21 people attended the training, including 16 women and 5 men.

Handwash training.

We discussed personal, oral, and environmental hygiene, emphasizing proper water handling, soap-making, and the ten steps of handwashing. We also highlighted the importance of primary health care and covered the operation and maintenance of the water point, as well as leadership and governance. By the end of the training, each participant had a clear understanding of their role in maintaining clean water and promoting good health within their community.

We held an election for the newly formed water user committee who will oversee the maintenance of the spring. We brainstormed income-generating activities and encouraged them to start a group savings account for future minor repairs to the spring.

The water user committee.

"The training was lively and interactive. Participants answered our questions without fearing one another. Every member was ready to take part in demonstrations hence, everyone took part [in] the training," said Victor Musemi.

Learning proper handwashing techniques.

"The most interesting topic is soap making process. I used to think that soap was only manufactured in the industry. I have been spending a lot of money buying soap, but now I know it is something simple that I can make and sell to other people. This knowledge I have acquired will shape my life and bring light," said 58-year-old Joshua Aluga, Chairman of the Water User Committee and the retired community chief.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




October, 2024: Alufu Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in the Alufu Community costs people time, energy, and health every single day. Clean water scarcity contributes to community instability and diminishes individuals’ personal progress.

But thanks to your recent generosity, things will soon improve here. We are now working to install a reliable water point and improve hygiene standards. We look forward to sharing inspiring news in the near future!




Project Photos



Contributors

5 individual donor(s)