It is a sigh of relief for residents of Oloyangalani as they wave goodbye to a lengthy frustration of water scarcity in the area after benefiting from a water project by Global Connection community.
Over the years, the residents have had to travel and walk long distances scouring for water for their livestock and domestic use.
According to Peter Namasaka, the many challenges faced by the community and children drove him to start a water project.
Namasaka said the community can now engage in agricultural activities, keep their children in school and carry out businesses.
“What drove me to start this project is that I saw residents from different areas in Kajiado including students, roaming around, facing different challenges, especially in schools and I was curious to find out what might be the problem. I went to the communities and came up with a project to assist children in acquiring school fees, community empowerment. Most families were poor, but it was not enough until I thought of a water project to solve most of their problems,” said Namasaka.
Kajiado being a semi-desert area, drought and water shortage are the root of most challenges; hence accessibility of water is of great impact to the community.
“Our first project is here at Olayiankalani where I came and saw people drinking water from a river shared by livestock and the same water is being used for cooking and domestic use. That’s why we started this water project and we can see some impact,” added Namasaka.
Jackson Nkoiliana, a resident from Olayiankalani said that accessing water in the area is a big step for the community since there is no place in their surroundings where one can acquire clean water but from that project they can cook, farm and drink.
“We have gone through so much sourcing for water in this area. We used to go as far in a certain river to fetch water; the water was contaminated by some pests and dirtied by livestock hence it is not safe for consumption, so whenever we see such a project, we are delighted because it is a big relief to us,” said Nkoiliana.
Another resident, Beatrice Keroke reiterated Nkoiliana’s statement saying, “We used to walk and travel long distances to source water, but now this water will give us a chance to practice farming, give our children an opportunity to sell our farm surplus and even start other businesses, save and engage in self-help groups,” said Keroke.
Pascal Abuga, a hydrogeologist from Direct Water Spread Limited, believes that the water project is going to be productive and impact the community in a big way in terms of easing the accessibility of water to people, sanitation, and agriculture.
By Seline Nyangere
