Some 315 women in Makueni County will each receive a tank this financial year, courtesy of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
This was disclosed by the area Women Representative Rose Museo at Nthengeni in Kisau/Kiteta Ward in Mbooni East Sub county Saturday, where 45 women received a tank each, under the initiative geared towards lessening the workload of trekking to go and fetch water from rivers or designated points across the county.
“I am targeting to give 315 tanks to women this financial year. The 45 tanks I have given today will help women get clean water harvested from their roofs catchment for domestic use,” said Museo, when she launched the exercise officially.
“The water from rivers is contaminated because animals like cows, dogs, donkeys and wild animals urinate on it, thus putting women and their families are at the risk of contracting diseases,” she observed.
While saying the women to benefit are those in registered groups, the County MP disclosed that through the initiative, the workload of women of waking in the wee hours of the night to go for water, will be a thing of the past.
“This initiative is also aimed at minimizing cases of women getting raped or being harassed by thugs who waylay them as they wake up early to go and search for water,” lamented Museo.
Meanwhile, since the programme started about 10 years ago, over 30,000 tanks have been given to schools and women across the county.
On Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Museo decried the increase in such cases, attributing the menace to rampant use of alcohol and drug abuse in the area.
Consequently, she challenged men to love their spouses and stop SGBV and embracing dialogue to solve any emerging differences among them.
“We have seen women’s hands and legs being slashed by their spouses in Emali, Machakos and here in Mbooni.
This is due to the increased usage of alcohol and substance abuse, especially among young men who have in effect lost their patience,” added the MP.
“There is no need to harm your spouse, please sit down and dialogue, if you cannot agree, let her go back to her parents in peace,” Museo advised.
By Patrick Nyakundi
