Kenya
Environment
Updates from the Field - YWCA Clean Water Projects
Updates from the FieldUpdates from the Field (or Progress Reports) on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.com by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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Recent Updates from the Field
YWCA Clean Water Projects
By Grace Okello - YWCA Kenya National Programme Secretary, October 09, 2007 05:12 PM
This is meant for our friends from the US who have continued to donate money to YWCA Clean Water Projects.
On behalf of Kenyan women from rural Meru, I want to thank you for your donations. The money you have given us has greatly transformed the lives of women, children and girls who would have to do without safe water for drinking and cooking.
The children in Secondary and Primary schools can now drink clean water after playing with their friends. They don’t suffer from stomach aches, bilharzias, cholera and dysentry.They can now concentrate in class and perform well in exams. Their future is brighter. The women can now breathe a sign of relief as they do not trek and spend over five hours looking for water. They can now spend more time running small agri-businesses. The water project gives enough water for irrigation.
They are asking for their friends who donate to come and share in their happiness in Kenya. Here is a confession from Nkatha a beneficiary of MUGUNA ‘B’ Water Project.
“I am Nkatha married with 5 children who attend a nearby primary school. I recall those gone days before YWCA brought water in this village, I used to wake up at 5am in the morning to prepare breakfast for my children for school then, I could milk my cows and thereafter pick a 20 litre container to the river to fetch water for the cattle. After the tiresome trip from the river it is already 10,o’clock and of course I pick a panga to the firm to fetch grass for the cows. This could take me up to 12 noon of which then I start preparing lunch for the family.
After lunch I have to fetch more water at least 4-5 containers for use up to the following day.
These days, I thank God that it just takes me a few minutes to get water from my tap outside my house for all my household chores. At least I have some free time to attend to other activities to benefit my family like operating a kiosks for selling groceries .”
CONCLUSION:
Ywca Meru Branch extends a lot of appreciation to GlobalGiving and other partners for their financial support towards implementation of this project . We look forward for continued partnership.
On behalf of Kenyan women from rural Meru, I want to thank you for your donations. The money you have given us has greatly transformed the lives of women, children and girls who would have to do without safe water for drinking and cooking.
The children in Secondary and Primary schools can now drink clean water after playing with their friends. They don’t suffer from stomach aches, bilharzias, cholera and dysentry.They can now concentrate in class and perform well in exams. Their future is brighter. The women can now breathe a sign of relief as they do not trek and spend over five hours looking for water. They can now spend more time running small agri-businesses. The water project gives enough water for irrigation.
They are asking for their friends who donate to come and share in their happiness in Kenya. Here is a confession from Nkatha a beneficiary of MUGUNA ‘B’ Water Project.
“I am Nkatha married with 5 children who attend a nearby primary school. I recall those gone days before YWCA brought water in this village, I used to wake up at 5am in the morning to prepare breakfast for my children for school then, I could milk my cows and thereafter pick a 20 litre container to the river to fetch water for the cattle. After the tiresome trip from the river it is already 10,o’clock and of course I pick a panga to the firm to fetch grass for the cows. This could take me up to 12 noon of which then I start preparing lunch for the family.
After lunch I have to fetch more water at least 4-5 containers for use up to the following day.
These days, I thank God that it just takes me a few minutes to get water from my tap outside my house for all my household chores. At least I have some free time to attend to other activities to benefit my family like operating a kiosks for selling groceries .”
CONCLUSION:
Ywca Meru Branch extends a lot of appreciation to GlobalGiving and other partners for their financial support towards implementation of this project . We look forward for continued partnership.
MUGUNA B WATER PROJECT- CURRENT STATUS
By GRACE OKELLO - NATIONAL PRGRAMME SECRETARY, November 14, 2006 06:35 PM
PROJECT IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY AND YWCA
1. Muguna ‘B’ Water Project assisted Maundu Village (in the neighboring) to start Water_ Project by giving them a branch.
2.YWCA has gained a lot of experience by implementing Muguna ‘B’ Water Project. This has made it easier to implement Maundu Project.
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3.Women from the community have formed small self-help groups where they carry out Merry-go-round activities.
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4.Women can now have free time to spend on other economic activities e.g. farming other than spending time walking long distances to look for water.
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5.There is general improvement of the living standards in the community.
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6.The project has helped increase membership to the YWCA.
CHALLENGES:
1.There is a frequent breakage of plastic pipes in the forest where there is a swampy area. Pipes are trampled by elephants hence there are usually water shortages in the villages. A solution to this problem would be to replace the plastic pipes with steel pipes, which are more resistant.
v
2.The population within the project coverage has increased since implementation and same for the domestic animals, currently the project cannot serve the current population hence the need to use bigger pipes at the intake.
3.The water supply is not enough for the beneficiaries to carry out any irrigation to grow vegetables for home consumption.
FUTURE PLANS:
The community has the following plans to solve the challenges facing the project so that there is efficient and sufficient water supply to all the members within the project coverage; -
1.The plastic pipes which were installed in the forest need to be replaced with steel pipes so that the problem of breakages by elephants can be solved.
v
2.Members would be required to buy storage tanks in their homesteads for us when there is shortage of water.
3.The Community would also be also be required to replace the current pipes of 6” size with 8” size so that more water reaches the community.
v
3.The project has forwarded a proposal to the area Constituency Development Fund but is still awaiting approval.
NOTE:
We still appreciate Global Giving’s funding to the World YWCA and YWCA of Kenya
1. Muguna ‘B’ Water Project assisted Maundu Village (in the neighboring) to start Water_ Project by giving them a branch.
2.YWCA has gained a lot of experience by implementing Muguna ‘B’ Water Project. This has made it easier to implement Maundu Project.
v
3.Women from the community have formed small self-help groups where they carry out Merry-go-round activities.
v
4.Women can now have free time to spend on other economic activities e.g. farming other than spending time walking long distances to look for water.
v
5.There is general improvement of the living standards in the community.
v
6.The project has helped increase membership to the YWCA.
CHALLENGES:
1.There is a frequent breakage of plastic pipes in the forest where there is a swampy area. Pipes are trampled by elephants hence there are usually water shortages in the villages. A solution to this problem would be to replace the plastic pipes with steel pipes, which are more resistant.
v
2.The population within the project coverage has increased since implementation and same for the domestic animals, currently the project cannot serve the current population hence the need to use bigger pipes at the intake.
3.The water supply is not enough for the beneficiaries to carry out any irrigation to grow vegetables for home consumption.
FUTURE PLANS:
The community has the following plans to solve the challenges facing the project so that there is efficient and sufficient water supply to all the members within the project coverage; -
1.The plastic pipes which were installed in the forest need to be replaced with steel pipes so that the problem of breakages by elephants can be solved.
v
2.Members would be required to buy storage tanks in their homesteads for us when there is shortage of water.
3.The Community would also be also be required to replace the current pipes of 6” size with 8” size so that more water reaches the community.
v
3.The project has forwarded a proposal to the area Constituency Development Fund but is still awaiting approval.
NOTE:
We still appreciate Global Giving’s funding to the World YWCA and YWCA of Kenya
Attachments:
