Rotary Clubs in Sweden continue to finance spring protection in Kenya.
Clean drinking water is essential for maintaining good health. In rural areas of western Kenya lack of clean drinking water is general. Water born diseases are common among children and adults. The death rate from diarrhoea among children below five is high, especially during rainy periods.
The villagers get their water from lakes, rivers and waterholes. The water is polluted by superficial inflow of dirty water. It is contaminated by human and animal feces and pollution from farming, including insecticides and artificial manure.
When the spring is finished, inspected and accepted by the coordinators and the authorities and the analysis doesn’t show any bacteriological contamination, the protected spring is handed over to the village as a gift. From now on, the village itself is responsible for the spring. The contractor has a one year guarantee of his job, and therefore a last inspection visit and a final water analysis is performed after one year.
In April 2020 the coordinators revisited the 52 protected springs constructed between January 2011 and January 2020. All springs functioned well except one. This proves that the applied method of protecting springs is a sustainable one. It also has a positive effect on the working condition for women, as the water is clean when it is poured into the vessels. It doesn’t need to be treated. It is directly drinkable.
We will continue with this method. In July 2021 springs number 75 and 76 were protected. As a result of this project, almost 150 000 persons are estimated to have got access to clean drinking water. We sincerely hope to be able to continue this program.
The project committee for “Protected Springs in Kenya”
Bengt Frisk
Project Leader
