The Borehole Project - The Hummingbird Initiative

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 river for domestic use, farming practices and personal consumption. Waterborne illness and disease are rife. During the summer months, there are long periods of drought so women and children must walk 5 km or more to fetch water.

Project Aims:

Improve the availability of clean, safe drinking water in an environmentally sustainable way.
Reduce the risk of water-related infections and diseases.
Free up valuable time for women and children

The Hummingbird Initiative’s first fund-raising project in Kanjoo was for the drilling of a borehole to provide clean water for the school and the nearby community members.

A hydrogeological survey was carried out by Geocore, Nairobi in March 2018, and collaboratively, with The Born Free Foundation (www.bornfree.org.uk/), the required amount of money was then raised to begin the project.

However, in December 2018 the local council announced that they were starting an initiative themselves to provide clean water to all primary schools within the Meru district. This would ultimately be the preferred outcome as Meru County Council would have ownership over the project, making it a local solution to a local problem.

The delivery of this project took yet another year, where THI were in constant contact with authorities applying pressure for a start date. It was a great test of patience but finally, in 2020, the Local County Government arrived in Kanjoo and the borehole was delivered as promised. What a fantastic day it was!

With the borehole up and running, it now meant that THI could re-direct the allocated funds to other vital water projects. These were to improve sanitation, health and education by piping water into the school, and to start the Maano Community Water Project. Please refer to our other project pages to find out more about these 2 projects. With 4 further boreholes in desperate need of revival within the Kanjoo sub-location, your support is still greatly needed. With access to water, anything is possible.

To learn about the technical specifications and installation information of a borehole please refer to: http://geocore.co.ke

Borehole

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 river for domestic use, farming practices and personal consumption. Waterborne illness and disease are rife. During the summer months, there are long periods of drought so women and children must walk 5 km or more to fetch water.