world water day – Water is Life Kenya https://waterislifekenya.org Helping Kenyans Bloom Through Love & Water Mon, 20 May 2024 18:48:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://waterislifekenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cropped-wilk-favicon-1-32x32.png world water day – Water is Life Kenya https://waterislifekenya.org 32 32 World Water Day: Celebrating WILK’s Success Stories https://waterislifekenya.org/2024/03/world-water-day-2/ https://waterislifekenya.org/2024/03/world-water-day-2/#respond Thu, 21 Mar 2024 22:40:32 +0000 https://waterislifekenya.org/?p=7421 For World Water Day, we're looking at places that have been transformed through the simple gift of water.

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World Water Day is this Friday, March 22. But for us at Water is Life Kenya (WILK), every day is World Water Day. All of our projects are designed to provide and support access to fresh, clean water in communities that lack this basic human right. For the last 17 years, our Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects have helped nearly 30 communities in Kajiado County, Kenya, gain access to reliable water sources. Let’s look at some examples of places that have been transformed through the simple gift of water.

Empalakai Community Borehole (2022)

Women in Empalakai used to have a treacherous path to take in order to find water. Not only did the walk take several hours, but the area where water collected was in a rocky riverbed. The water was heavy and dirty, and people often got sick from drinking it.

In April 2022, we dug 220 meters to tap into the water reserve. Once the well was constructed, water basins and cattle troughs were built. An appropriate pump and generator also had to be installed. By September, the water system was online and ready to be used. About 6,000 liters of water per minute can be pumped from the well, and women no longer have to risk their lives to find it.

Joyce and Larasha greeting local leaders at the Empalakai Opening Ceremony in 2023.
Four 10,000 gallon tanks sit atop the pumphouse at Empalakai. The borehole is near an elephant cooridor.

Esukuta Community Borehole (2015)

Like the women in Empalakai, women in Esukuta also had difficulty finding potable water. Esukuta means “salt,” and the water women managed to collect by hand-scooping in shallow wells was barely fit for human consumption. Even livestock got parasites from drinking the water.

Our Esukuta borehole is one of the earliest we constructed. In July 2015, we broke ground and tested the water. It took about a year to complete the project, but the results speak for themselves. Pipes were connected to nearby Nasipa Primary School so it could also have access to clean water. Shops opened up around the borehole, and women could earn money from the time they saved not having to search for water. Livestock is healthier and children perform better in school.

And last summer, trees were planted and toilets installed during phase 3 of the Esukuta Borehole Project. Which means that, after nearly a decade, the borehole still is providing water to this community.

Students at Nasipa Primary School rejoicing for water during test pumping several years ago. Now, students at Nasipa water trees everyday with this borehole water.

Ilkisonko Boys’ High School (2022)

In 2022, the Ilkisonko Boys School in Loitokitok had over 1,200 students, 800 of whom lived on campus. But the pipe system wasn’t working and water had to be purchased and delivered to the school. Water, then, was rationed to students, who could bathe only once a week. Even people living in areas surrounding the school couldn’t access clean water.

To solve the problem, we drilled 300 meters (Ilkisonko Boys School is at the top of a hill in the highlands) and constructed a borehole for the school. Not only did the students benefit from this project, but the surrounding communities did as well. Because the borehole had a strong flow, it could sell water to nearby areas. Now, thousands of people benefit from the results of this successful water project.

Ilkisonko Boys Principal, Daniel Makao, shares about the success of Water is Life Kenya’s project at Ilkisonko Boys’ School.

Lositeti Community Borehole (2024)

Our newest active water project is one that was desperately needed. The people in Lositeti suffered great losses from the three-year-long drought that Kenyans endured. Women walked for hours and “scooped” for water, sometimes returning home without any. Cattle herds were wiped out by disease and starvation. People are still so poor and isolated that, even with rain falling, they can’t bounce back.

The support we received for this project astounded us. Donations came from Rotary District 7360, the Raskob Foundation, the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation, our board member Linda, and so many other people. It was clear that the cries from people in Loisteti had been heard.

We began drilling a borehole for this community last month. During test pumping, people lined up to fill their jerry cans. We also distributed beans and nutrient-rich flour to offer additional relief to those who still desperately need it. We still have to build the borehole and its supporting infrastructure, but there’s finally hope for people in Lositeti where before there was none.

A woman collecting clean water during Lositeti test pumping last month. They are looking forward to their completed project.
The stream of fresh water flowing away the borehole at Lositeti during test pumping.

How Will You Celebrate World Water Day?

This year’s theme for World Water Day is “Leveraging Water for Peace.” Peace can mean a lot of things, but for the people we serve it usually means peace of mind. Women are empowered by not having to spend most of the day, every day, searching for water. Children can go to school and actually retain what they learn. Livestock stay healthy, which benefits both families and communities. All around, lives are changed—for the better.

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Our Response to World Water Day https://waterislifekenya.org/2023/03/world-water-day/ https://waterislifekenya.org/2023/03/world-water-day/#respond Wed, 22 Mar 2023 18:17:32 +0000 https://waterislifekenya.org/?p=5907 Water is Life Kenya (WILK) has brought clean water to Kajiado County for more than fifteen years. Let’s go over the steps we take when we choose to drill a borehole and why our methods work.

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Today is UN World Water Day, a day when we can reflect on how we use water and what we can do to make better, more economical use of this invaluable resource. This year’s theme is “Accelerating Change” with a focus on how to make changes that solve the world’s water and sanitation problems.

Water is Life Kenya (WILK) has brought clean water to Kajiado County for more than fifteen years. Ours is not the only organization that facilitates water projects in Kenya, but our boreholes are successful for a reason. Let’s go over the steps we take when we choose to drill a borehole and why our methods work.

world water day Olmapinu borehole opening ceremony
Celebrating at the Olmapinu Borehole Opening Ceremony.

Drilling the Borehole

Several steps must be taken before a borehole can be drilled. It actually starts with talking to people who ask us for help. Community leaders approach us frequently, but we have to determine if there’s a real need for the well first. Then we survey community members to make sure they, too, are committed to maintaining the well; they have to elect their own well management team and contribute some money towards the project to reinforce their investment.

This is where our donors come in. As we set up hydrogeological surveys and seek drilling permission from the Kenyan government, we ask for help since the community cannot afford all of the costs for such a huge project. The generosity of our donors never fails to humble us, and we’re always grateful that so many people contribute to offset those costs.

The entire community gathers for the next part of the process, since this is proof that their water challenges are being addressed. Drilling can take 3-5 days because the water quality has to be tested and we have to make sure the borehole will generate enough water for the community. After the assessment, the rest of the infrastructure is built around the borehole and the elected committee is trained. Finally, after about a year, the handover ceremony takes place and the community celebrates having access to clean water.

world water day Lenkiloriti borehole pump
The pump and control panels at Lenkiloriti.

A Holistic Approach

Just because installation is complete doesn’t mean we’re done. What separates WILK from other organizations is our holistic approach to water management. Many other organizations leave after the well’s dug, but we continue to monitor the well, even ten years later, to ensure the success of each project.

We also provide additional training programs to ensure that the community can afford to maintain the borehole. Our Livestock as a Business program (LAB), for example, is one we began so that the community’s main source of income (cattle) generates enough to pay the fees and other costs associated with the well. Our Hope for Widows program has a similar goal. Women are vital to successful borehole maintenance, and the program teaches them how to generate income for such purposes.

“We don’t just enter a community, drill a well, then leave,” WILK Co-Founder Joyce Tannian says. “We plan for the future. The result is a truly sustainable system where the water stays on.”

Some smiles after a water training meeting at Namelok.

Every Day is World Water Day

WILK has spearheaded 27 water projects for Maasai communities in Kajiado South and Central, bringing clean water to 80,000 people. After fifteen years, about 85% are still operational because of the holistic approach we bring to each project. With the help of our donors, we’ll keep thinking of ways to provide water to communities still suffering from a three-year-long drought. It’s just one step towards “accelerating change,” but it’s evidence of our daily commitment to improving the lives of our friends in Kenya.

Standing together at Enkong’u Narok Primary School.

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