AAR Japan has engaged in a project to deliver
reliable clean water supplies to people in the area of Mutomo in Kitsui
District, eastern Kenya, where water shortage is a chronic problem. In Mutomo,
many locals rely on river water or rainwater as they do not have a sufficient
number of wells. Water fetching is hard labor that uses up time and energy, requiring
some people to spend as much as three hours just to reach a water source.
During the dry seasons when rivers dry up, locals dig into the riverbeds to collect water for domestic use, but
such fragile water sources becomes even scarcer during subsequent droughts.
Generally, women and children bear the burden of fetching water, which often
prevents them from attending school or doing farm work.
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| “Our two hours of water-fetching time will be
shortened to five minutes,” says Perez wa kasek, 57, with her two grandchildren
in front of a completed water shop and water tower. Pictured on the right is
Daigo TAKAGI from AAR Japan’s Kenya Office. |
In order to alleviate water shortage problems that
recur every dry season, AAR Japan developed and installed a system that pumps
water up from a 54m-deep well, which is immune to droughts, and deliver the
water to four water-selling facilities via pipelines 17km in length. This
system enables the surrounding residents to buy safe, clean water at their
nearest water shop, and the fees used to cover fuel and maintenance costs for
the motor that pumps water from the well. Furthermore, in order to ensure long-term
access to clean water for the locals, a water management committee was set up
for each water shop to manage the profits and maintain the facilities. The
entire water supply system was finally completed in October 2012.
Clean Water is Now Available
for about 5,500 Kenyans
After confirming a steady flow of water to all four
water shops in mid-October, AAR Japan transferred the operation of all the
system facilities, such as the pipelines, water shops and water towers, to the Tanathi
water services board, a Kenyan government agency, on October 30th.
The transfer was held in the presence of Kenyan officials from the local
government, the Tanathi water services board, and the Water Management
Committee members from each water shop. Presently, the Tanathi water services
board and local residents will manage and maintain the system operation.
“(Thanks to the installation of water shops in our communities,) many locals
now have access to sufficiently clean water all year round. We (the water
management committee) will maintain the system responsibly. Thank you very
much,” the committee members told us with zeal.
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| October 30th, 2012 – “We’ll manage and
maintain the system with responsibility,” said officials from the Kenyan
government and Tanathi water services board, and the members of the Water
Management Committee. Pictured on the left is Rie MATSUMOTO from AAR Japan’s
Kenya Office. |
After the transfer of
the water supply system, AAR Japan revisited the facilities and confirmed the
system’s proper operation. In front of each water shop, many locals were
waiting in lines to fill their plastic containers with clean water. Two weeks
after the transfer, AAR Japan conducted a survey based on interviews with the
local customers of the water shops. The result shows that the water supply
system has helped to greatly reduce their water-fetching time. Over 80% of respondents
said they now spend only 15-30 minutes to get their clean water, while more
than half of them were spending 1-2 hours for fetching water before the water
supply system installation.
AAR Japan will continue to support Kenyan people
suffering from water shortage and work on alleviating drought problems in the
country.
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| November 13th, 2012 – The Makele water
shop near a grocery is always crowded with locals. |
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| November 2nd, 2012 – It is finally opening
day. Many plastic containers are prepared in front of the Makele water shop
while the committee members get ready. |
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| November 8th, 2012 – A lot of donkeys
carrying plastic containers full of water! (The Nzalani water shop) |
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| November 13th, 2012 – “Now we can drink
safe, clean water without any worry. Thank you very much.” Many locals enthusiastically
participated in our interview. (The Nzalani water shop) |
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| November 3rd, 2012 – Children are also
delighted. (The Tuvila water shop) |
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Daigo TAKAGI, AAR
Japan’s Kenya Office
After
working for a private company, he moved to Britain to do postgraduate work in
reconstruction assistance to war-torn communities. He joined AAR Japan’s Tokyo
Office in May 2011 and engaged in emergency relief and reconstruction efforts
for areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, focusing
on support activities in Fukushima Prefecture. He has been based in the Kenya
Office since February 2012. |
