By Maureen Mudi
It is far, hard to reach and isolated from mainland Lamu.
Faza is described by its people as an island within an island. It ‘becomes’ part of the larger Pate island when the tide is low, leaving a shallow crossing channel.
But when the tide is high, it is cut off from Pate and becomes an island on its own.
Even when the tide is low, Pate is still surrounded by thick mangrove bushes.
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Accessing Faza from the mainland is a long journey. One has to take a boat ride, which takes 20 minutes from Mokowe jetty off Lamu island.
The next leg is longer, a 12-hour boat ride on an ordinary engine dhow while those who can hire speedboats take just two hours to reach the town.
The journey also depends on the tide. Travelling is impossible when the tide is low because the channel becomes rough and it is hard to reach the sea wall for easy disembarking.
Faza town has a population of 4,500 that depends on fishing and for long their biggest problem has been fresh water. The residents harvest rainwater for domestic use or have to draw supplies from Pate.
Fresh water
The Lamu East CDF supports the community in ferrying fresh water and distribution to the residents. Residents buy water between Sh30 to Sh40 per jerrican.
To get essential commodities from Lamu town and Magogoni on the mainland boats are the only means of transport. Ms Pombo Swambana says, "Water has been a problem for a long time and its shortage often leads to an outbreak of diseases."
