Wash alliance roots for good life among Kenyan communities

KAJIADO, KENYA: Maasai community is famous for its unique culture which has for decades been the center of attraction for tourists visiting Kenya.

The community which largely occupies Rift Valley region of Kenya are also pastoralists keeping large heard of cow, they move from one place to another in search of greener pasture for their livestock.

A visit to Kajiado County which partly lies on the Eastern side of the country, things are changing slowly for this community as many residents are finding new activity in agriculture.

Away from temporary houses (Manyattas) that has characterized the community may be because of their nomadic culture, there are permanent houses coming up in the villages, many of which have green gardens full of vegetables, onions, and sweet potato.

Timothy Maten, a community member attributes the change to a number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working with communities in the region to optimize existing natural resources in the area for the benefit of the community.

WASH Alliance Kenya, which is a consortium of up to ten NGOs works in Kajiado to provide comprehensive services to reduce poverty through improved environmental health and economic conditions by empowering people and creating an enabling environment.

It has so far supported access to safe and adequate water to 50,000 residents of Kajiado while also ensuring sustainable sanitation to 50,000 residents.

“One of the resources that we are working on together with WASH Alliance is the Kerema Springs in Kajiado Central Constituency, water from the spring has been harnessed and piped into surrounding homes now enabling residents to grow vegetables and other crops for consumption and also for commercial purposes,” he says.

“We have fenced the area around the spring and also created a pool where animals in the area can come at intervals to drink, this has created a stable community reducing the traditional movement in search of water,” he added in an interview with Standard.

Neighbors Initiative Alliance (NIA), a Kajiado based organization joined hands with WASH Alliance in order to exploit full potential of Kerema springs.

NIA did a feasibility study of the project in August 2013, they tested the spring water if fit for both human and livestock consumption and built underground storage tanks.

The water is pumped through gravity into homes where residents use it for domestic purposes and for growing crops such as maize and vegetables

“We are witnessing revolution in our community, piped water now enable us to grow crops for consumption and sale,” says Jane Ntore, from Lele Village in Kajiado Central Constituency adding that the project is improving living standards among many in the community.

WASH Alliance Kenya, which is a consortium of upto 10 NGOs works in Kajiado and Nakuru to provide comprehensive services to reduce poverty through improved environmental health and economic conditions by empowering people and creating an enabling environment.

During the past four years (2011 – 2014) of the programme implementation in Kajiado and Nakuru Counties, the alliance has had successes towards achieving sustainable WASH solutions for all.

“Water provision has been facilitated mainly through construction of sand dams, drilling of boreholes, protection of springs, construction of rock catchments and also construction of water pans,” says Tobias Omufwoko, Country liaison for WASH..

“We have also contributed to the government initiative towards an open defecation free Kenya through employing the non-incentive provision strategy of Community Led Total sanitation. Additionally, over 800,000 residents of Kajiado have been reached with sanitation and hygiene messages.”

He says in the next phase of programming 2016-2020, the Alliance expect to focus more on sustainability of the projects.