A spring of hope for Kenya
A spring of hope for Kenya
Facilities like these have been set up throughout Kenya by The Salvation Army to combat water and sanitation problems in the country.
Every minute, somewhere in the world, a child dies from a preventable water-borne disease. The Salvation Army’s International Development team is helping to stop these unnecessary deaths and bring hope to communities.
The Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) initiative is taking the danger out of drinking unclean water for some of the world’s poorest countries. In Kenya, access to safe drinking water is scarce and dirty water sources often lead to diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
On top of that, walking long distances (often up to 10 kilometres) to water sources each day is an arduous journey, with children missing school to help their parents carry the load on such a long walk.
From dust to new life
Through the Kenya WASH program, improved access to clean water and sanitation for 40 schools and their wider communities in some of Kenya’s most drought-prone areas has been achieved.
Much-needed rainwater-harvesting tanks have been installed in eight schools, with another 355 tanks provided to households in five communities. Each school also received toilet blocks for the students.
Magdalene Kingi Kitheka, a widower struggling to raise her five children, had to buy water from her nearest water source 20 minutes away. Often, when Magdalene had to go to the market to sell her crops, there would be no water and her children would go to school without lunch.
But with the new water tanks, Magdalene can now concentrate on providing for her family.
“It has made a big difference to our lives. It has saved a lot of time and money that I used to spend looking for water. My children can now stay in school the whole day without worrying about food and water.”
Generous support
Without generous donations to The Salvation Army, the Kenya WASH program couldn’t have had such a great impact on so many lives. Water, sanitation and hygiene are critical issues all over Africa, and that’s why the SAID department aims to bring safe drinking water to more communities in Kenya.
For 13-year-old Muthini King’oo, not having to worry about where his drinking water is coming from has renewed his interest in his education: “I shall work extremely hard to ensure I get good grades. This is because I will get to school fresh, unlike in the past when I had to carry a three-litre jerry can to school with drinking water.”
You can help us continue this much-needed work, and stop children dying from preventable diseases, by supporting the Kenya WASH program. Go to: salvos.org.au/said
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