Water
When it rains in Kenya we know about it. Several inches of water can fall in a few hours. Driving off road will take you through and across deep, dry river beds that have sprung up in a rainy flash and quickly disappeared leaving huge craters and tracks gouged out of the 'road'. Quite apart from making for an interesting drive, these ghost rivers highlight the fact that, although Kenya gets its fair share of rain, it seems to come all at once and then vanishes leaving a dry and barren land.
Each day, the women of each community walk miles to collect water from muddy water holes that have been used by cattle and wild animals.
Ideally wells would conserve and provide water for communities, however many parts of the Maasailand exist on foundations of solid volcanic rock. It is almost impossible or prohibitively expensive to drill into this rock.
An alternative to reserving the water when it falls as rain is a large water butt known as a Kentank. These cost about £600 and can mean the difference between children being able to stay at school or having to walk several miles home to eat lunch, (usually not returning).
An alternative to reserving the water when it falls as rain is a large water butt known as a Kentank. These cost about £600 and can mean the difference between children being able to stay at school or having to walk several miles home to eat lunch, (usually not returning).
At times the drought is so prolonged that even a Kentank is not enough to provide sufficient water. At these times families have no alternative than to buy expensive bottles water and are unable to wash, resulting in infection and disease.
Cattle die from dehydration or will migrate away from their owners.
Cattle die from dehydration or will migrate away from their owners.
At such times we can help by donating towards a delivery by truck of fresh water to schools churches or compounds who have a Kentank.
