How Kibera women turned water access into savings, business growth

For Rosemary Akinyi, water was once a costly burden that ate into the modest earnings from her fish business.

The trader, who lives and works in Makina, Kibera, used to walk about four kilometres in search of water. She would pay Sh200 for 200 litres and another Sh100 to transport it home, a total of Sh300 for water whose safety was never guaranteed.

Today, Akinyi collects the same quantity from a Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) water kiosk near her home and business, paying just Sh30 for 200 litres and nothing for transport.

"I am able to save the money I used to spend on buying and transporting water. SHOFCO water is also clean. We don't boil it before we drink it, as we used to do with the water we bought from other vendors," says Akinyi.

She now channels some of the savings into her chama, a merry-go-round savings group, and uses the rest to support her children's education and buy food for her family.

Her story reflects a broader shift among women in Kibera, where the burden of fetching water has long fallen disproportionately on women and girls, a theme on the agenda at World Water Week in Stockholm this week under the 2026 theme, 'Water for People and Progress.'

Its founder and chief executive Kennedy Odede knows the struggle firsthand, having grown up in Gatwekera, Kibera.

"I saw women walk for a distance of 14 kilometres round trip from my village in Gatwekera to Kenya Science in search of water. This took away hours every day that could have been spent working, running businesses, caring for their families or participating in community development," recalls Odede.

Maurine Nelima, another Kibera resident, used to walk about five kilometres looking for water and sometimes returned home without enough for her household.

"It was difficult in the mornings because my children needed water to wash, eat and prepare for school, and there were days when they missed school altogether. Having a water kiosk nearby has changed our lives," notes Nelima.

Odede points to the link between water, sanitation and girls' education has shaped the organisation's approach to its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) work, which is built around schools as much as households.

"When water was not available, girls were often asked to help find it. That meant missing school or arriving late," he adds.

The organisation has connected water to schools across Kibera and built ablution blocks, and it is looking to expand sanitation access to pupils in public primary schools across informal settlements in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa counties over the next three years.

The kiosks run on a token-based payment system linked to mobile money, and families can buy a 20-litre jerrycan for a fraction of what private vendors charge, freeing up savings for food, education or income-generating activities, according to Odede.

It uses overhead water piping rather than underground pipes, which Odede explains are slow and costly to lay through dense settlements and prone to tampering.

Programmes director Angela Ngetich points out that the organisation's water services extend beyond households to hospitals and local businesses, many of them run by women.

"Water is an essential input for businesses, especially those run by women. When water is reliable and affordable, women spend less time looking for it and more time running their businesses, earning income and supporting their families," says Ngetich.