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REPORT 6t WILDE GANZEN DRINKING WATER NAKURU KENIA

REPORT OF DRINKING WATER, 6T WILDE GANZEN (WILD GEESE) PROJECT; BY ROTARY CLUB OF AMSTELVEEN OF NETHERLANDS AND ROTARY CLUB OF NAKURU IN NAKURU AND LAIKIPIA COUNTY, KENYA

The 6T rainwater harvesting project between Dutch Rotary Clubs Amstelveen, Hoorn, Regio Amsterdam : RC’s A’dam- West,-Sloterdijk, -Minerva, -Halfweg, -Centrum,-Oost,-Nachtwacht, Stichting Inter-Adam and Rotary Club of Nakuru, Kenya, was supported by the fund donated by Wilde Ganzen of Netherland.

The main objectives of the project was to improve the hygiene of very poor, needy communities in Nakuru and Laikipia counties, in Kenya by providing 10,000 liters masonry or ferrocement tanks to families and 20,000 masonry tanks to selected, needy schools for harvesting potable water from roof run off.

The project was on shared basis where the family groups were to contribute financially, locally available materials, labor, build and maintain toilets, hand washing station, plant at least 100 trees in their homestead, participate in health and sanitation training, get involved in the group’s micro-credit (Table Banking).

The schools were expected to also contribute the cost of building the tank, build a block of toilet with hand washing station, and plant a minimum of 300 trees.

The family community involved in the project are people with common interest that have formed self – help groups, mostly women who carry the burden of providing water to their family.

OUTPUT:

The project aim was to building 10 tanks to schools and 140 to the families.

With funds available, we managed 125 tanks of 10,000 liters for the families and 9 tanks of 30,000 liters for schools and one 50,000 liter tank for one school. The school that got the 50,000 liter tank contributed more since, we only provided that the same materials like those got 30,000 liter tank. All the families involved did built toilets and had hand washing stations. They also did plant trees and got involved in Table Banking.

HN 1496 1 - wild Geese tank 9.jpg HN 1404 2- Wild Geese Tank 0.jpg

Family tanks before improved

HN 1502 2 - wild Geese Beneficiary 2.jpg HN 1535 1 - Wild Geese Beneficiary 7.jpg

Family tanks that have been improved

ST PAUL SEC SCH HN 1520 (2)- Wild Geese School Tank 5.jpg NGELESHA PRI SCH HN 1511 (2)- Wild Geese school tank 3.jpg

Secondary school and Primary School 30,000 liters tanks

standing in front of a forest she has created.jpg Tank number 1 - toilets and trees.jpg

Standing in front of trees planted Toilet, bathroom and trees done 11 years ago behind in the home of tank number 1

Table Banking is open and in progress.jpg Table Banking in progress. There is power in collective small saving.jpg

Table banking: The power of small savings

Tank under construction.jpg

Tank under construction

planting triees.jpg

Rotarians on site visit and planting trees with beneficiaries

The group involment in the tank construction.jpg The inside of a toilet in one of the member's home.jpg

Beneficiaries involved in tank construction Inside of a member's toilet

An artisan - has been on the program since inception.jpg Artisan's identity at the back of the tank.jpg

An artisan who had been in the program for 20 years Artisan's name and telephone number on the tank

Initially, we were aiming to build 150 tanks. We ended up with 135 tanks; 125 10,000 liters tanks and 9 30,000 liters tank and one 50,000 liters tank. The cost of the material plus the change of design for schools tanks from 20,000 liters to 30,000 resulted in less tanks being built.

Otherwise all other planned objectives for the project were realized.

The main objective was to improve the lives of the community by providing clean, drinkable water. To the community be involved in the project so that it is sustainable. This we have no doubt was achieve also. The RCCs and Groups leadership supervise the tank constructions making sure that all the hardware materials are securely delivered to each site. They provide their own labor and make sure that the standard set for the artisans are maintained. They get involved in the construction process. They are all involved in table banking where they borrow money to pay school fees, start small income generating projects; such as poultry, goat rarely, rabbits keeping, small scale farming of greens vegetables, fruits and grains. Some of the groups use the table banking to raise money to put up latrines and fence off the chicken pens.

The women and young girls have more time than before. The girls are able to attend schools regularly, this have improved their enrolment. Their mothers have more time for other family chores. Their health has improved because of drinking clean water and they are less stressed for not walking long distances to fetch water.

They are also looking forward to having readily available firewood from the trees they have planted. They would also have woods for building. They are enjoying better environment, with shades provided by the trees. They birds are also benefitting with places to put up nests. The trees also provide better breathing air.

Although, the communities have been trained on issues of health, like washing hands after visiting toilets, there is no way of knowing that this is being practiced by them. The Tippy Tap hand washing station looks good and it works well when the visitor are around, however, on ad-hoc visit unexpectedly, one finds the bottle dry. Also when about ten or more people are in a homestead, the bottle runs out of water soon. However, due to the size of the tank, the women are satisfied with what they are able to do with the water harvested. As long the water is enough for drinking they do not wish to use it for other things.

In the event of a prolonged dry period, the water from the tank would be exhausted and they would have to result to fetching unclean water from the old sources.

Some of the unintended result of this project is women find the groups a wonderful source of exchange of idea and socialization. Many of them develop confidence to solve personal problems. Skills of handling money

Sustainability:

All the activities generated by the project are in the hands of the self-help groups. Some have even become re-innovative by coming up with better ways of doing things collectively. Like borrowing money from the table bank and give all of it each month to one member to build the latrine. They keep on doing that until all of the members have good latrines.

The funds for the continuation of the project are expected to come from the groups. As they grow their micro- credits, they are being encouraged to form co-operative societies and be linked to countries co-operative movement which is well structured. The Third largest bank by assets in the country is co-operative bank and it will help them grow in a more solid way. One of the RCC – Wanyororo RCC has already registered a co-operative society.

The only drawback with the community is the lack of proper market system to sell the products they produce at attractive prices. Also challenging is lack of roads to transport products to the market.

Number of People Benefited:

5,690 people who have directly benefited from the project. 2958 of them are women and 2731 are men. 1750 have indirectly benefited.

Future Plans of the Project:

The future plans of the project were to have the RCCs and the self –help groups to form co-operative societies and grow their business and activities. As co-operative societies the country has the financial institutions to support them.

Lessons Learned:

1.

In implementing this project, I learned experientially, that when people working together, everyone truly achieves more.

2.

Small beginning with goodwill and integrity can lead to greater achievements.

3.

Training is so fundamental in impacting new skill and in helping people develop sustainable projects. I would in future focus more on training as well as doing.

4.

I ensure frequent monitoring of the project and evaluation as ongoing activities more than we did in the current project.

Relationship with our International Partners:

We had an exemplary relationship with the Rotarians from Holland. The frequently visited and communicated with us on regular basis.

Wilde Ganzen is as excellent Partner and sponsor.

We are ever grateful for the support to our less fortunate community. We look forward to working with them again.

Edward Wahome Muchiimi

Chairman, Rotary Club of Nakuru Water Management Committee.