It is early morning in the Kingi’s homestead at Irura, one of the neighbouring villages of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Muthoni Kingi prepares herself for her daily pilgrimage to the river. At hand are four 20-litre jerry cans which she uses to fetch water five times a day. She is not alone in this journey as Rose Wanjiku, a mother of two, joins her. Together they will cover about 25 kilometers each day in search of this precious commodity. The good news is that these trips are soon to be forgotten.

Through Ol Pejeta’s Community Outreach Programme, two local women’s groups, Irura and Mwicokaniria, each consisting of 125 members, were the first recipients of the sustainable water harvesting project. This project aims at harvesting rain water from the roof for domestic use in local households.

Earlier this year, thanks to donations from the Rotary Club of Langley Central Canada, the Rotary Club of Nairobi North and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the women’s groups received 40 2,500-litre tanks. These communities already had about 100 tanks at their disposal, which they purchased themselves, but many households were lacking the funds to get their own tanks. This generous donation benefited about 40 households. In addition to the tanks, gutters were installed which assist in collecting water from the roof and directing it to the water tanks, allowing the tanks to fill up when it rains.

Earlier this year, 40 2,500-liter water tanks were distributed to the surrounding communities of Ol Pejeta. These tanks, along with the gutters that were installed, aim at harvesting rain water from the roofs for domestic use in local households

During the presentation ceremony, women in attendance were full of admiration as they received the tanks and gutters. Mrs. Mary Mukami, chairperson of Irura Women’s Group, could not hide her excitement for the assistance offered in addressing their water problem. “We are very grateful to the Rotary clubs of Canada, Nairobi and to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy for the tanks and gutters. These will go along in helping us provide water tanks for all our members.”

Mrs. Wanjiku was thankful for being one of the beneficiaries of the project. She said that it will help in reducing water-borne diseases like typhoid, and will also save her from walking long distances every day. “Thank you very much for the water tanks and gutters. I will also share water with my neighbours to reduce their trips to the river,” she said. The initiative has had a significant impact on more than 700 lives in the neighbouring community.