Water is life and connects all aspects of it. Hearing that some villages in Kenya still live without proper access to water sounds unreal but that is the reality of life in several villages in Kilifi County, in the larger coastal region of Kenya.
After visiting Kilifi County a few times and learning that majority of the locals struggle to access water Co2balance decided to partner with the County government and repair some of the damaged and non-functional boreholes to ensure locals can have access to safe water – it is a human right and more than a basic need. Prior to this decision locals were mainly depending on rivers most of them seasonal, ponds and open shallow wells all these exposed locals to various waterborne diseases since the water was unsafe. After interacting with local communities, seeing how challenging their living conditions were that Co2balance took the responsibility of ensuring they find a solution to this problem. With local water technicians Co2balance has identified and repaired is now maintaining over 385 non-functioning water handpumps in Kilifi County. And today, most of the rural communities across Kilifi South and North sub counties comfortably access safe water within their villages.
Locals indicate that prior to the repairs by Co2balance they used to fetch water from the different aforementioned unsafe sources then go an extra mile looking for firewood to boil the water to make it safe. But now seeing that the rehabilitated boreholes produce water that is transparent, clean and safe since they do not have any health issues after drinking their feedback has been amazing. They are very happy about the water project noting that it couldn’t have come at a better time, now that Covid 19 is here and threatening their lives they require water even more than before.
