Misuuni Community Water Project, Kenya

by John Ndolo
(Nairobi, Kenya)

MISUUNI COMMUNITY WATER PROJECT- KENYA

Misuuni community water project is located in Kenya, East Africa. About 70 km south east of Nairobi City, the capital of Kenya.
Misuuni village is located in Arid and Semi Arid Land (ASAL) of East Africa, lack of water being the major problem that poses as a threat to human survival, economic development and social security. Misuuni self help group held several public meetings with Misuuni local community to address the water problem, it was agreed to prioritize water in their development plan. The main aim is to improve health and prevent illness coursed by waterborne diseases.

Members of the Misuuni community live below the poverty level of less than a dollar a day. Women and children from Misuuni village usually walk for long distances to fetch untreated water from rivers and dams. This poses a risk to their health and asserts a lot of manual labor. Misuuni village has only one earth dam which dries up during the dry season. Water from this dam is untreated. Therefore, it is a source of water-borne diseases like cholera and bilharzias that have been major killer diseases in this area.

MISSION STATEMENT

To increase accessibility of this natural resource, to people affected in this Arid and semi Arid location and make it more and readily available for the benefit of the Community development and sustainability.

GOAL

To provide the community of the underprivileged society with clean, clear and purified water for their domestic and agricultural need.

OBJECTIVES

Facilitate the digging of dams or construction of water borehole and in this poor rural and marginalized area of Misuuni village.

• To educate community members on importance of preserving and construction of water dams in order to supplement for their daily consumption and need.

• Encourage community members and individual to participate on the project.

• To reduce the distance covered by individuals while fetching water for domestic use and livestock requirements.

• To assist the government in its poverty eradication plan and upgrade the ratio from the normal water provision grid.

• To harness water underground and making it useful while protecting and sustaining local communities.

SPECIFICT OBJECTIVE

The specific objective of this project is to drill a bore hole to provide adequate water to people of Misuuni community and its environment.

Sustainability

For sustainability of the project, the committee will be selling water to the local community at a minimal fee to make it affordable by everybody in the community. The same money collected from sale of water will be used to purchase fuel for pumping water or paying for electricity bills, pay wages for watchmen and repair the pump and also maintain the pipes and storage tanks.
The project committee will be conducting fund raising from well wishers and Government agencies to assist in project maintenance. The committee will be conducting fundraising and contribute money on monthly basis which goes to the project Bank Account for sustainability and for any unforeseen circumstances.

Community Contribution

1. ¼ Acre
2. Manual labour
3. Supply locally available materials
4. Dig water trenches and backfill approximately four square kilometers connecting eight water points.
5. Bush clearing
6. Accommodate and accompany visitors who will be on site visiting the project.
7. Attend all training and meetings called by the management committee.

BENEFICIARIES AND STAKEHOLDERS

The following are the beneficiaries of Misuuni Community Water Project:
1. Misuuni Primary School - about 600 pupils and its teaching staff.
2. Misuuni Local Churches - about 1,200 congregations.
3. The entire Misuuni local community and their neighbor with a population of about 2,500 people
Misuuni community water project will benefit over 4,000 people. Water points will be constructed in the market place, the primary school ground, church compounds and along the roads within a distance of every 2 kilometers for beneficiaries to be drawing water. Misuuni local community will be the main stakeholder and beneficiary of this project.

LONG TERM IMPACTS

• The project will solve the problem of waterborne diseases that is currently a menace in the village due to use of contaminated water.
• The project will go a long way in solving perennial water problem that has affected both people of Misuuni and their livestock.
• The project is likely to reduce the man-hours lost by the community in search of water and invest the same in development activities.
• School children need the project to reduce time wasted traveling long distances looking for untreated water which affects their learning process.

IMMEDIATE OUTPUTS

• Poverty will be reduced drastically in the area once the project is finalized.
• Farmers will grow subsistence food crops.
• Pupils will have more time to concentrate in their studies and score high grades and get better grades which will give them better jobs.
• Health will improve by reducing sickness brought by use of contaminated water.
• Misuuni primary Scholl which has low enrollment due to poverty level will increase enrollment.
• The school will improve its infrastructure as the parents improve their incomes.
• Crime level will reduce in the area once the village will get busy in their farms and improvement of their income.
• Community members will improve in their health.
• Death rate will reduce after use of purified water

MEDIUM TERM OUTCOMES

• According to African tradition, women and children are the ones who fetch water and spend most of the day looking for water walking long distances with children on their backs. They need this project the most.
• Farmers will use water to grow crops all year round for their subsistence as well as for their incomes and reduce poverty level without fear of drought.
• Enhance food security for rural community.
• Project will have capacity to provide water for irrigation for subsistence and sell the surplus.
• Most children will join school after reduction of poverty
• Schools will have improved performance due to time reduced for children in search of water
• Create employment.

ACTIVITIES

• Water geological survey
• Procurement of contractors for drilling
• Equipping of the borehole
• Procure water pipes for water distribution
• Digging of water trenches sand backfilling
• Construction of water points
• Construction of water tower
• Purchase of PVC water tanks
• Purchase of generator for water pumping or install electricity
• Construction of pump house




PROJECT BUDGET BUDGET

NO. ITEM PARTICULARS KSH. CTS $
1. Geological survey By WRMA 80,000.00 10, 000.00
2. Procure Drilling contractor Registered with WRMA 6,000,000.00 75,000.00
3. Purchase submersible pump To be installed by a contractor 850,000.00 10625.00
4. Purchase and install generator 15 KVA and install electricity By a contractor 1,200,000.00 15,000.00
5. Purchase and install control panel By the contractor 450,000.00 5625.00
6. Purchase water meters, Non return valves and Gate valves By a contractor 150,000.00 1875.00
7. Purchase and fitting G.I, PVC pipes and accessories By a contractor 2,000,000.00 25,000.00
8. Construct a pump house By local masons 200,000.00 2,500.00
9. Construct water points By local masons 180,000.00 2,250.00
10. Purchase water meters By the committee 50,000.00 625.00
11. Community contribution Manual labour 3,000,000.00 37,500.00
12. Contingencies By the committee 2,500,000.00 31,250.00
13. Payment of GOK fees By the committee 80,000.00 1,000.00
14. Miscellaneous expenses By the committee 50,000.00 625.00
15. Capacity building By wrma 160,000.00 1,875.00
16. Transport materials to the site By the committee 420,000.00 5,250.00
17. Mobilize equipment to the site By the drilling contractor 130,000.00 1,625.00
18. Human resources By management committee 80,000.00 1,000.00
TOTALS 16,000,000.00 177,777.77


Exchange rate: 1 US$ = Ksh. 90 (Subject to change) As at 6th September, 2011