Water for Life / Water for All Rural Water and Sanitation Enhancement Project – Kenya

Woman gathering water that is now clean and safe to drink - clean water is essential in poverty reduction. Photo: CWS

Farming Systems Kenya (FSK)

Plagued by inadequate water for agricultural and domestic use, the community of Bagaria--some 10,500 people in about 1,750 households--is constructing water kiosks (attendant-staffed water distribution points) and laying water distribution lines from two deep borehole wells, with the help of the Church World Service "Water for All" program and local partner Farming Systems Kenya.

Bagaria is located in Kenya's Rift Valley. Families from several other neighboring communities are also expected to avail themselves of the new water resource, meaning that some 20,000 people overall may benefit from the project.

Before the kiosks, the main sources for water for Bagaria were boreholes more than four miles away. The water kiosks and distribution lines are reducing the distance women and children have to travel to fetch water, leaving more time for the women to perform household and income-generating tasks and for the children to do their studies.

Through the project, community members are also learning about project management, leadership, sanitation and hygiene, environmental conservation, and watershed protection. And, they are undertaking a community-wide reforestation project.

Support for Church World Service helps make this program possible.

Updated 9/24/2007

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