Josephine Finds Joy in Farming, Thanks to Clean Water!

September, 2025

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Josephine. Since then, she and the Emwaku Community of 700 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"My health has changed, and I don't fall sick as much. I used to pay for someone to bring me water, but now I can access it with ease, so I have saved money and improved my small-scale farming."

Before the Spring Protection

Like many women in Kenya, 62-year-old Josephine Malala, a farmer, is responsible for collecting water to meet her daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole her time and negatively affected her.

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 Josephine, in particular, accessing the spring was a treacherous affair, often resulting in injury.

"Water used to be very difficult to collect, and I would fall down, and because of that, I could not fetch water as needed, and so I used to pay someone to fetch water for me," said Josephine.

Even though Josephine had others collect water for her so she wouldn't injure herself, she still suffered consequences from consuming the water. "I was falling sick after drinking the water, which was contaminated. Stomachaches and typhoid used to be frequent," exclaimed Josephine.

Since the Spring Protection

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

The protected spring.

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!"

"It's faster now as compared to the way it was before. It used to be time-consuming, unsafe around the spring, and also, liver fluke would attack, so fetching water wasn't so pleasing before," Josephine shared.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Josephine and the rest of her 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 Josephine a crucial tool for achieving her dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, her enthusiasm and courage will help her fulfill her dreams.

"Water has made it possible to do my poultry farming, cattle, and goat keeping. I have been able to save money and planted Napier grass, which helps me with my livestock, so I don't have to spend on livestock feeds. I have been able to save money, and I have added to my livestock, including goats and cattle. Sometimes, I wasn't able to do [so] for years because I used to spend a lot on water and going to the hospital to treat water-related illnesses," said Josephine.

"I would like to continue improving my small-scale farming and ensure that my family is safe when it comes to finances and food. I love farming because it's very reliable and the biggest income-generating activity [for] me," she declared.

Josephine tends to her cattle.


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 Emwaku 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 Emwaku 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: 700 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2024

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 09/04/2025

Project Features


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The 700 people of Emwaku struggle to access sufficient water to meet their daily needs. Their spring is not properly protected, and collection is challenging. This difficulty leads to the spring being overcrowded and community members inevitably wasting the precious time needed for other essential things.

"The water crisis impacts the daily schedule of community members because they always want to have water in their storage [containers] before anything else. By so doing, they find themselves crowded at the water point," said field officer Jacqueline Kangu when describing the water situation in Emwaku.

"The water point is exposed to surface runoff that flows from both sides of the spring. There's sharp concrete and hard core exposed from the stairway to the drawing point, which makes it very dangerous and difficult to access water," Jacqueline continued.

"The sharp concrete always hurts my feet while drawing water here," agreed six-year-old Razack S.

However, the difficulty accessing the spring and the time wasted waiting to collect water is not the only issue with the spring. The water it provides for people is also contaminated, making it risky for community members to consume what they collect.

"The water challenges facing the community include diseases and infections related to dirty water," said Jacqueline.

"Anytime I take this water before I boil it, I suffer from stomachaches and diarrhea because [it] is exposed to contamination. Due to my body weight, I cannot lift water from this drawing point; otherwise, I'll fall. [I] am therefore forced to pay for someone to carry water for me at my home," shared 60-year-old farmer Josephine Malala.

"I fear stepping in water because I have always been bitten by liver flukes. During [the] rainy season, the water is usually dirty, and I can't drink it," concluded Razack, shown below (red shirt) with other children collecting water from the spring.

The protection of the spring will enable young and old alike in Emwaku to safely collect water they can trust enough to drink without treating it and allow them time to focus on the other essential things they need to do.

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.

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

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.

Project Updates


September, 2024: Emwaku Community Spring Protection Complete!

Your contribution has made access to clean water for the Emwaku 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!

"Clean and safe water equals no more diseases; hence, our children will be able to sit down in class and learn more in order to improve their performance for a better future," said Josephine Malala, a fifty-eight-year-old local farmer.

Josephine collecting clean water!

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

The opportunity to live a healthy life is one that 14-year-old Branton looks forward to! "I will not have to miss school because of being sick; therefore, I will concentrate more in class to improve my performance."

Branton at the newly protected spring.

Preparing for Spring Protection

Community members worked together to source all locally available construction materials for the spring, including 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.

A community member gathers construction 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.

Setting the foundation.

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.

Constructing the spring's walls.

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.

Setting the discharge pipe.

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.

Cementing stones deter contamination.

We then cemented and plastered the spring 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.

Setting the tiles beneath the collection point.

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.

Backfilling the reservoir.

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 behind the spring to prevent soil erosion.

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.

The protection is complete, and clean water is flowing!

We officially gave ownership of the waterpoint to the Emwaku 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 Joy Ongeri and Mercy Odongo deployed to the site to lead the event. Twenty-five people attended the training, including fourteen women and eleven men.

Training begins!

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.

Training.

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.

Facilitator Mercy Odongo shared, "They were very committed. Coming for training early in the morning and leaving behind their daily income activities in order to listen carefully to what we were teaching. They also asked and answered questions in between the training, which made the training lively."

Handwash training.

Soapmaking was a very popular topic! Community members were excited to learn they could make soap instead of having to use their precious resources to purchase it. Now, they have the skills to make enough to improve hygiene standards at home and sell the excess to enhance their income.

Soapmaking training.

"I have learned that every compound should have a compost to maintain our environmental hygiene. Handwashing stations are also important in every household to improve personal hygiene in our community," said Cornel Wakhungu, a member of the water user committee.

Cornel.

Mercy Odongo concluded, "I feel hopeful. The work they put in so as to complete the construction of the water point was exemplary. They worked together without quarrelling which showed they are strongly unified. Also, the way they embraced the project and were happy to see the project from start to completion showed that they are happy about their new water source and they are more than ready to make it a sustainable waterpoint."

Thank you for making all of this possible!




July, 2024: Emwaku Community Spring Protection Underway!

The lack of adequate water in Emwaku 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!




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Contributors

1 individual donor(s)