ur Next clean water project is in Enkasurai, Kajiado County, Kenya.
Enkasurai is located in Kajiado Central and has a population of about 3,400 people. It is 18 km (11 mi) from Kajiado town and similar to many interior communities, access to clean water is limited. One would have to walk for about 45 minutes to one hour to get to the nearest water source. Many challenges arise as we have encountered in many communities which have little to no access to clean water.
One of the biggest challenges that arise is the hindrance to educational progress as many girls, who are to be in school, spend much of their time walking long distances to draw water from the well that they could be spending in the classroom learning. Going to the well is an activity they do twice or thrice a day, affecting their active participation and attention in school. These interruptions see a rapid loss of interest in education as the girls mature and develop a greater leaning towards Maasai cultural mindsets concerning their role as women, such as getting married early and becoming a housewife from a young age. In the rural areas of Kajiado, it is common for girls to drop out of school as early as 6th grade and are often married off young.
In March 2024, our entire team had the opportunity to meet the lovely community at Enkasuari. Our time was enriching as we were welcomed warmly with song, dance, and lovely gifts. During the visit, we got to walk to the water source that is used by many within the community and gain a deeper understanding of the immediate need. It was an instant recognition that a water source would go a long way in helping mitigate many challenges being faced at Enkasurai due to a lack of clean water sources. We also took a walk around the school compound where the borehole will potentially be located and listened to the stories of the community members about their daily routines.
Having a borehole in Enkasurai will not only have an impact on the community at large but also on the school-going girls who collect water for their families every day. With the distance to clean water reduced, older women can collect water and release their daughters from that duty so they can focus on being in school. In other communities that we have built boreholes in - Oloomunyi, Nalala, Orinie, and Inkuseron - the population of student retention, especially with the girls, has increased even to the point of attending high school. Building a borehole will achieve our goal of partnering with the community to see greater sustainability in Enkasurai, and also contribute to educating young girls in and from the community. We aim to build a borehole by next year, June 2025.
