The water and sanitation crisis in Kenya remains critical. With a population of 46 million, 41 percent of Kenyans still rely on unimproved water sources, such as ponds, shallow wells and rivers.
The community of Kanjoo access water from the rivers for domestic use, farming practices and personal consumption which causes illness, human/human and human/wildlife conflict. People fight over depleting water sources, and animals eat and trample crops as they enter communities looking for water. Both animals and humans are injured and killed as a result.
During the dry seasons, there are increasingly longer periods of drought where women and children must walk 5 km or more to fetch contaminated water every day. This is both time consuming and exhausting, limiting children's access to education and women's work opportunities. Water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio are common place.
With the delicate situation of water availability, it is crucial that at THI, we work alongside hydrologists, the Water Resource Authority of Kenya (WRA), local Water Groups, the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS), The Born Free Foundation (BFF) and the County Government in order to ensure successful, sustainable and impactful water projects.
It is our aim that all of our partner schools gain access to a clean and year-round water supply for washing, cooking, sanitation, hygiene practices and drinking. This will improve health, increase attendance and advance education.
Increasing access to water for homes and farms will improve the health of families and directly help to create opportunities and increase incomes therefore promoting economic empowerment.
In conjuction with the community, we have a further 10 Water Projects carefully planned out to ensure that equal opportunities are provided across the sub-location. Conserving water through changing furrowed irrigation to sprinklers and drip irrigation is an essential part of our projects plans.
Access to water will directly help to alleviate poverty in Kanjoo.
If you would like further information on these projects or would like to collaborate with us, please get in touch.
