The Samburu region of northern Kenya is a harsh, inhospitable place and unfortunately the rains failed again this year; it was drier than I have ever seen it. This drought, combined with endemic trachoma, malnourishment and the cholera epidemic reinforced the need to provide sustainable clean water supplies and educate the people on how to avoid these diseases in a manner that is sensitive to their cultural differences.
Water is the key factor for disease-free survival in this environment. When the rains fail, life becomes hard for everyone and disease can spread rapidly through the malnourished populace. So why not just put down lots of boreholes? Unfortunately this is a simplistic short-term solution for a nomadic people and has failed many times before.
Instead we are building a network of open water reservoirs to provide a sustainable supply of water without interfering with the Samburu nomadic lifestyle. They provide water for people, livestock and migrating wild animals such as elephants. They also provide a micro-environment for protecting other endangered species of flora and fauna.
I was able to see the first reservoir completed providing water for the local community with preparations for the second well underway. Our long term goal is to build 60 reservoirs which will allow the Samburu people access to clean water forever. This is a pioneering way of providing water which directly affects all our other projects.
Clean water is the key to disease-free survival- here a Samburu man collects water from a dwindling supply
