Access to clean, safe water and sanitation is a fundamental human right and a component of ensuring a dignified life especially for people affected by and made vulnerable by emergencies such as drought. Proper access to clean water for household and animal use has been a great challenge especially for women and girls who have to walk close to ten kms daily to fetch water. This puts them at risk of attacks due to insecurity and also compromises their time in school or participating in Income Generating Activities.
“Access to clean water was a difficult task especially to the village women as there was no separate water drawing point for households and animals. Now, I can access water anytime, without worrying of the long distance. Currently I am spending only Sh 5 (USD 0.041) for a 20-liter clean jerrycan compared to Sh 10 (USD 0.082) for the same jerrycan before”.
Amina, Dadajabulla village, Wajir County
Households in the different ASAL counties have experienced the immense impact of the prolonged drought that has severely eroded their livelihoods and left many in desperation. In spite of all this, they can afford a smile. The partnership between local organisations AHN members from Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo, Turkana, Mandera) and international actors like Oxfam, Sida, Irish Aid resulted in the availability of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure and Non Food Items. These included: The rehabilitation and solarization of community boreholes; Construction of communal water points for both livestock and households; Repair and expansion of water pipes; Distribution of water treatment kits among households and the promotion of proper hygiene and sanitation among the local communities
“The community health workers also trained us on hygiene especially on how to use the water purifier. The CHVs also demonstrate to us jerrycan cleaning and hand washing techniques”.
Khera, Burmayo location, Mandera County
“The project provided water by building a water tank right here in the community, and we no longer walk for long distances to fetch water. We now have storage tanks that enable us to store the water for a long period of time.”
Asley Muhamud Noor, Wajir