Because the riverbeds in this area become completely dry during the dry season, the local residents have resorted to digging shallow wells along the river banks. Soon enough, more women and children are making numerous trips to collect the water, which is not very clean. In a small village located deep in the Rift Valley escarpment, when the sun shines, it dries up everything.
At Munyek Primary School, the children are forced to sacrifice some of their precious classroom time to fetch water for cooking their meals. Despite the distance and the exhausting climb up and down the steep terrain, the pupils engage in this task. According to Elijah, the school headteacher, “In the past, we lost a lot of contact hours with the learners due to the time wasted searching for this vital resource. However, the availability of water within the school compound has not only provided relief to the learners but has also helped to eliminate the stomach upsets many students experienced when drinking unsafe and unclean river water.”
Sila Turchi also expressed his gratitude for their new water source, saying, “Our happiness today is based on our hope, and we are optimistic that we will soon grow a lot of mangoes because they thrive well in our region. Munyek village will soon become the fruit basket of Kenya as we embark on irrigating our lands. I am appreciative of CRF for providing us with this clean alternative, and now our animals are safe. In the past, the river water during the dry season would become a breeding ground for leeches that drained the life out of many animals. Having lived here for more than 60 years, my soul is happy to receive such an amazing gift.”
In Kenya, access to clean alternative water sources is a life-saving opportunity, and Christian Relief Fund (CRF) has taken the lead in addressing the water shortage for both agricultural and domestic use. To tackle this situation, CRF is implementing various funded projects to ensure that each village has access to borehole water, which is the best alternative to well water. Bravo to CRF for providing this clean alternative, which sustains farming, drinking water supplies, and sanitation systems.
