{"id":244975,"date":"2025-03-12T12:36:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T16:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/?p=244975"},"modified":"2025-03-12T12:36:04","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T16:36:04","slug":"stories-from-the-front-lines-communities-battling-water-scarcity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewaterproject.org\/community\/2025\/03\/12\/stories-from-the-front-lines-communities-battling-water-scarcity\/","title":{"rendered":"Stories from the Front Lines: Communities Battling Water Scarcity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Across our work area in Southeast Kenya<\/a>, the struggle for water defines daily life. For communities here, the simple act of collecting water has become anything but simple. Instead, it is a grueling, time-consuming, and sometimes dangerous task that dictates how people spend their days, limits their opportunities, and stunts their futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are common themes between each community battling water scarcity, you’ll find that each community member responds differently. Some speak of lost time and exhaustion, others of missed opportunities, and still others of dreams deferred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they all share one thing in common: drought is making their struggle worse<\/strong>. With rainfall becoming more unpredictable and rivers running dry too quickly, communities are left with no choice but to walk farther, wait longer, and suffer more just to find water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalinza: A Community\u2019s Time Stolen by Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Kalinza<\/a>, 240 people rely on a single well kiosk a two-hour walk away. The journey is long, exhausting, and unavoidable. But even after making the trek, there\u2019s another hurdle: long lines of people also waiting for their turn to collect water.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jerrycans lined up waiting to be filled at the water kiosk near Kalinza.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The kiosk is only open in the morning hours. For people who live far away \u2013 like those in Kalinza \u2013 that means waking up incredibly early to make the long trek in time to get a place in line before the kiosk closes. They can\u2019t establish much of a daily routine without knowing how long they\u2019ll have to wait and when they\u2019ll get back to their farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 40-year-old Josephine Kasumo, the struggle just to collect water for the day is all-consuming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Josephine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWater is all I think of<\/strong>, and it\u2019s all that stresses me from time to time,\u201d she shared. \u201cI have no donkey, so I depend on borrowing other people\u2019s donkeys to fetch water. At times when everyone is busy with their donkey, I have to carry water on my back, which is subjected to much unworthy suffering<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long wait times at the well are made worse by extended dry seasons. When rains fail to come, the well\u2019s water level drops<\/a>, forcing community members to spend even more time<\/strong> waiting for it to recharge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15-year-old Agnes Mutwa unwillingly sacrifices her education to ensure her household has water.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Agnes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cI feel so bad about fetching water at the water source,\u201d she said. \u201cMy school time is mostly affected, as I am forced to make time for water rather than <\/strong>studies<\/strong><\/a> or even my homework.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChildren missing school in this community has become [the] norm now,\u201d explained Field Officer Jefferson Mutie. \u201cWhenever they go to fetch water in the morning and it’s a school day, it translates to them missing school [on] that particular day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agnes wants to study and advance in life. But her family needs water, and girls are most often sent<\/a> to collect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sand dam and a protected well will transform Kalinza\u2019s future, cutting down travel time and ensuring water is available close to home, even during drought periods. With a much shorter trip to fetch water, Agnes will be able to attend school regularly, and Josephine\u2019s back will get a reprieve from the long hours spent walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ithambwangao: The Dream of More Than Just Survival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Ithambwangao<\/a>, 500 community members face a similar fate. They walk 45 minutes each way to fetch water from a shallow well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany [community] members would love to work on their farms, but this cannot be [achieved], as they need to work on fetching water in most of their day,\u201d said Field Officer Jefferson Mutie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Fetching water takes so much time,\u201d said 12-year-old Cynthia. “We have to walk so far, often up and down hills, and sometimes we have to wait in line. The jerrycans are heavy, and if the well runs dry, we might have to go even further. Water is so important for our families, but it shouldn\u2019t have to be such a long journey.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cynthia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Like Agnes from Kalinza, Cynthia\u2019s water-fetching duties take time away from her education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes, I miss classes just to help my family,\u201d Cynthia explained. \u201cI want to learn and do well in school, but when I\u2019m tired and have to study by candlelight, it\u2019s hard. I wish we had more water close by so I could focus on my studies and not worry about carrying heavy buckets every day. Water should be for learning, not just for living<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even in the midst of an incredibly challenging life, Cynthia tries to make the best of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I’m sent to fetch water, I feel like a little hero on an adventure. I know it\u2019s important for my family, but sometimes the journey feels long and tiring. Still, I try to be brave because every drop I carry is a step toward a brighter day<\/strong>!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cynthia\u2019s optimism in the face of water scarcity is inspiring and heartbreaking in equal measures \u2013 especially because she spends much of her daily long walks dreaming of what her life could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If I didn\u2019t have to spend all that time getting water, I would play with my friends, explore the world around me, and dream big,\u201d Cynthia said. \u201cHaving more time would mean more adventures, more laughter, and more time to be a kid<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so much strife centered around water in Ithambwangao, it\u2019s no wonder that 50-year-old resident Terresia has developed such reverence for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Terresia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWater is life,\u201d Terresia said. \u201cIt sustains us, nourishes our bodies, and fuels our dreams. It flows through our daily routines, from the first sip of morning coffee to the laughter shared during a family meal. Water is not just a resource; it\u2019s a vital connection to our environment and each other. It nurtures our communities, supports our health, and enables us to thrive. Without it, life as we know it would cease to exist. For me, water represents hope, resilience, and the promise of a better tomorrow<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terresia\u2019s words remind us to be grateful for the water in our own lives even while we work to spread water access among the communities who need it. But in Ithambwangao, gratitude is often overshadowed by the harsh reality of drought. When rainfall is scarce, the well can\u2019t provide enough water for everyone, leading to rationing, longer walks, and increased hardship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time spent walking takes away from everything else \u2014 including the chance to pursue personal aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Terresia, this means giving up her hobby of basket weaving and rope-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving more time [would] allow me to continue with my basket weaving and rope-making activity, which is my hobby,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sand dam and hand-dug well will free her and others from this relentless burden, allowing them to focus on farming, education, and even personal fulfillment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muthini Upendo: When Water Comes at a Dangerous Cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 1,000 people of Muthini Upendo<\/a> face an impossible choice: spend three hours walking to a distant well that sometimes shuts down, or collect water from an open earth dam shared with animals. Neither option is safe, and neither is sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe live in a dry region that experiences several months of drought in a year, and when it rains, we do not have the capacity to harvest most of it; thus, water just flows through the rivers before it quickly dries up,\u201d said 50-year-old farmer Dickson Musee.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dickson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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His greatest wish is to grow his farm and provide for his family, but without reliable water, that dream is impossible to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLife is very [difficult] without water, because we need water for our livestock, poultry, and farming,\u201d Dickson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so many possible uses for the little water community members collect, it\u2019s no wonder that their farms are suffering. But Dickson still dreams of what he could do if he didn\u2019t have to spend so much time fetching water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would focus on farming in my garden and nurturing my drought-tolerant crops like sorghum, green grams, and millet,\u201d Dickson said. \u201cI would be preparing my land early for the rains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 16-year-old Jemima, the water crisis is a direct threat to her education and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jemima.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cThe roads we have here are difficult to use because they are rocky and dusty. We also have to travel long distances looking for water, and there are queues at the water point, especially during the dry season. We have to walk over long distances between thorny bushes, and we sometimes have to go and fetch water when it is dark. This area also has a lot of snakes, and snake bites are common,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jemima walks along the winding way to water in Muthini Upendo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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During drought, the earth dam shrinks, leaving less water for the community. People grow desperate, and conflicts arise<\/a> over who gets water first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe often have quarrels at the water point when trying to fetch water. Other community members jump the queue when they become impatient with waiting or when water levels drop,\u201d Jemima said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, she has big dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be a science teacher so that I can be a second parent to my students and help them with social issues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sand dam and well will make her dream possible. Instead of battling for water, she will be able to focus on studying, learning, and building the future she envisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Future with Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For these three communities, a reliable water source isn\u2019t just about survival \u2014 it\u2019s about reclaiming time, education, livelihoods, and dignity from the drudgery of endless drought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With easy access to water:<\/p>\n\n\n\n