Water project in Isiolo village ends years of agonising walks to distant rivers

As early as six years of age, Monica Epiyon, a resident of Attir village in Isiolo county, would join her mother and other women on a more than 12km journey in search of water.

Many hours would be spent along the way and she would return home tired and hungry, with only five litres of water — the most her small body could carry. Her mother, just like many others in the village, was training her daughter in what to expect in her future life.

Epiyon, a mother of six, says she grew through this hardship in this marginalised region and it hurts her very much to imagine that her children, especially girls, would have to go through the same pain she and her mother went through.

And so when aid came through Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnerships for Integrated Development (Rapid) programme, the role played by Epiyon as chairperson of Attir Maendeleo group came in handy to ensure the sustainability of the project even after the programme implementation period.

Rapid has been running a programme in the region for the past five years and has since established several water points from where residents have access to clean water for their household use and surplus for irrigation and livestock.

Epiyon says the water points have been a great relief as they are used not only by commercial growers but also by subsistence farmers who have established kitchen gardens.

“Water scarcity was a nightmare to women, who would walk for more than 12 kilometres to the river, thus wasting vital time that could be used in running other businesses and taking of the family needs,” she says.

Waterborne diseases were common and even caused deaths. Because the water from the river had to be shared with wild animals and livestock.

"We would have to carry two jerrycans — 20liters on the back and another one of 10 litres on the head,” recalls Monica, adding that she would wake up at 6am to go fetch water, only to return and find her children had already left for school.

Like in the case of other women who have benefitted from Kenya Rapid's intervention, her life has since changed for the better.

“I now walk for less than 100 metres to fetch water, meaning I spend much lesser time, and I am able to attend to other tasks, including farming,” Epiyon says.

She also does not buy vegetables and onions for her family as she grows them at her farm, through irrigation.

As the group’s chairperson, she ensures each of the 700 households that rely on the four water points under this particular tower, pay a Sh100 monthly fee for maintenance and sustainability.

Additionally, each goat is charged Sh5 and cow Sh10 monthly, money which is saved to maintain the boreholes.

Following the programme's success story, stakeholders in the water sector converged in Isiolo to discuss lessons learnt over the last five years and the way forward.

The lessons will be key in implementing the second phase of a partnership between private and public sectors in addressing water, sanitation and nutrition, among other issues.

This comes at a time when the county, in partnership with the private sector, has been striving to ensure access to water for all and for multiple uses in the county.

Isiolo Water, Sanitation, Energy and Climate Change executive Jennifer Kirion said the input of partners from both public and private sectors was vital ensuring sufficient supply.

Kenya Rapid brings together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including development organisations, to provide water for schools, domestic use, markets and agriculture.

According to Kenya Rapid chief of party Doris Kaberia, women bear the brunt of water scarcity, hence sufficient supply is a solution to multiple challenges.

“Water and sanitation are key to enhancing issues such as security, health, education and general welfare of any community,” Kaberia said.

She adds that through Kenya Rapid, about 70,000 people now have access to clean, safe water, while another 8,500 benefitted from basic sanitation in Isiolo.

Additionally, more than 600 farmers are now utilising improved farming technologies.