Mbirika Community Water Supply
Project Details:
After a number of visits to Mbirika over the past 2 years for discussions with the community, we finally started construction of their 50,000 litre storage tank at the beginning of January 2023. All the materials were delivered just after Christmas so that when the work team arrived in January it was full steam ahead. With 6 skilled Masons and Carpenters and between 4 and 8 (the numbers fluctuated according to the work being carried out) casual workers from the local community, work went along at a good pace. The working conditions were very severe with 400C daily temperatures and 98% humidity. Staying cool was a challenge!
The original timescale for this project was 4 weeks and that is exactly the time it took to complete the whole project. A formal handing-over ceremony was held on 10th February 2023 and now the Mbirika community have taken ownership of the tank and are ready to use it to the benefit of all in that area.
Now instead of the old small plastic tank – which was speared by elephants – there is a 50m3 capacity block-built tank which is sealed to keep the water fresh – and the elephants out! The tank is connected to a community water pipeline with a small pipe that produces an intermittent trickle of water. However, even though it is a small amount, the tank has filled up.
Human Impact:
Now a community of more than 900 people have a secure source of water for many years to come. The children attending the local school will have more time to actually be in school now that their water supply is close to hand. School meals are an important aspect of daily life for the pupils and without a constant supply of water this was not possible. However, now with a large storage of water, school dinners are an everyday treat and the significance of this water supply cannot be underestimated.
I spoke to Mary who lives nearby and is the senior Teacher at the primary school:
‘For years we, as a community, have been struggling to have a sustainable water source close to us in order to make it easier to provide for our children. Even getting the school registered with the local government has been almost impossible as we could not ensure a cooked meal for the students. Now that we have this tank I know we will finally have full registration as a school. This, along with the improved health and well-being of everyone in the community, will be a blessing to us for many years to come – thank you.’
Now with a fully trained local Management Committee, this community is moving to a more secure future in terms of water supply.
We in WATER DROPS have numerous projects lined up for the rest of this year and we have confidence that we will be able to achieve them all because of our experience and your support.
Budget:
For a project like this to succeed it takes a large number of people to work together in partnership.
The partnership we had with a local primary school here in Banbridge made a significant difference to our fund raising for this project. Ballydown Primary School held sponsored events throughout the school in response to the need for water in Mbirika. This funding became the foundation upon which all other funding activities were based. Even as we travelled to Kenya at the end of November 2022 we did not have sufficient funds to actually complete the job. However, by the time we were ready to build we had more than enough!
The initial budget for Mbirika: £16,600.00
The total amount raised for Mbirika: £13,084.71
Project costs amounted to: £10,935.34
This makes the total amount available for the next project: £2,149.37