Oldonya Oloolasho Water Catchment
Context:
Oldonyo Oloolasho is a small and remote community situated on the floor of the Rift Valley in southern Kenya. With a very harsh climate and temperatures exceeding 40°C it makes survival a daily challenge. There are two rainy seasons, however they often fail completely – as was the case for 2022 and 2023. There is no surface storage in the area for the rain water so when the rain stops or fails, families have to consider other options for their water solutions. This usually involves having to travel long distances of up to 20km to the nearest water source and carrying it back in containers on donkeys or bicycles.
Project Details:
This is an area consisting of about 40 Bomas (Maasai homesteads) with an average of 30 people per Boma. Approx. 50% are children under 10 years old and approx. 1,200 people will benefit from this project.
The community around Oldonyo Oloolasho were very much involved with the planning and implementation of this project. All casual labour work was carried out by community members – in fact so many people wanted to be involved we had to divide them into groups, so that each group was given a day to be on site. They were paid the ‘going-rate’ for this work and we are confident that the cash flow through the community had a significant impact on their lives and wellbeing.
The work Water Drops carried out is as follows:
- Increase the area of the existing rain catchment apron by 25%, to take advantage of any rainfall that occurs. This apron was then concreted over to reduce water loss and maximise the volume of water collected.
- The whole compound of catchment area and underground tanks was fenced off for security and to keep domestic and wild animals apart.
- Carry out repairs to the two existing underground tanks and to construct a new 75m³ underground tank.
- Install a syphon system to deliver the water to a set of three stand pipes where the community can draw water safely.
Project Costs:
| Description | Cost £ |
| Expand Catchment area | 12,000.00 |
| Rebuild wall and erect perimeter fence | 4,000.00 |
| Repairs to existing underground tanks and install a syphon system | 3,500.00 |
| Construct a 75m3 underground tank | 14,000.00 |
| Total | 33,500.00 |
Notes:
- The very favourable exchange rate between the Kenya Shilling and Sterling £ brought significant savings to every element of this project – which are reflected in the actual costs of the work.
- We worked hard at trying to purchase all the materials in one lot, so that transportation costs would be minimised.
- The rain catchment apron was not extended by 50% as originally estimated
Conclusion:
During times of drought this community is forced to move from their homes to another area in order to find water for their everyday requirements. When it finally rains, they will return and if there is sufficient water for their needs, then they will not be forced to move again for a long time. That is exactly what happened here.
After the rains delayed for about a month, it began to rain in heavy thunderstorms and all three tanks are now full to overflowing. We are also thankful for the collaboration and partnerships that came together to fund this project and make it the success it is.
