Water shortage in Kenya

Welcome to this web site is all about a village in one of the waterless areas of Kenya, following long periods of drought, where the only water is from a local river, polluted by animals and human flotsam and jetsam.

We invite you to share with us our concern, and make it possible for us to jointly do something to help.

Background: Kadawa is a village of 10,000, including the surrounding area. The village is not confined to one place - it is spread out through the bush in different family compounds and individual huts/homes. Kadawa is near Kisumu, a large city situated on Lake Victoria in Western Kenya, just south of the equator. This area is the home of the Luo tribe, one of 52 tribes in Kenya. Kadawa has a large number of widows and orphans due to the Aids problem. They are extremely poor, live in drought and famine conditions and abject poverty. 80 percent live on less than 50 pence ($1) per day! They must walk 3-4 kilometres (2+ miles) to fetch a bucket of water.

Our hearts were torn by the devastation caused by drought and famine, and by how HIV-AIDS has ravaged many, many families. So many widows and orphans! A local leader said - if there isn't a dramatic turn-around the entire village will be wiped out within 10 years.

No water except from a well 2+ miles away - or the disease-ridden river which serves as a watering hole for cattle & goats, laundry and bathing, as well as drinking water, see above; no electricity (paraffin [kerosene] lanterns and candles); no indoor toilets (outhouses with a pit - no seat). All the food was cooked on a wood fire or wood-charcoal pots. Our host had a house within his family compound, which also had mud huts where other family members lived, a stick corral in the centre with their cattle - which are used to pull an old two-blade metal plough, hooked up on three rough wooden yokes. It is really rough, basic living. We went to visit several orphans and widows in their huts or "houses". Some with grass roofs with large holes in them and some with tin roofs. It was a drastic experience. By comparison we were living in luxury.

The Greatest Need: During our visit I asked Hesbone, who is the assistant pastor of Dove Nairobi church, and was born in this village, "If we could do one thing to help these people, what would it be"?

His reply was: "One of the major problems is lack of water. There is only one creek, which both animals use, human beings use and bathe in it, and our people are really suffering from water-borne diseases like typhoid and bilharzia. If we can get some help to sink bore holes that would be a great blessing".

I asked: "What is the cost?".

"For a shallow well without using a machine it would cost 5,000 to 6,000 US dollars. Using a drill rig for a deep well (good drinking water) some 100 metres deep would cost around 15,000 US Dollars. That would transform the lives of people because most of them do not have water, it is a big big problem".


 Top of Page