Water for Samburu

In the areas of Seketet and Angata-Nanyukie there are no boreholes. The inhabitants use surface water from (temporary) ponds and streams. This water is generally highly contaminated. Many people become sick because of drinking this dirty water.
During dry periods women and children have to walk between 5 and 11 kilometers to the nearest water supply. Fetching water takes so much time and energy that no time remains for education and activities to get income. Every day school children have to come to school with 3 liters of water. They are coming late at school because the water is far away. So fetching water takes a lot of valuable school time and the concentration of the children.
Furthermore, because of the lack of water especially many women suffer from chronic kidney infections, because she does not clean.

Current status

-Geophysical and Hydrogeological investigations are carried out in Seketet and Angata-Nanyukie;
-Quotations for drilling are available;
-Appointments with a drilling company are made to investigate the locations in January 2011;
-Activities to raise funds in The Netherlands and Kenya are still going on.

1) Permission: the drilling of boreholes requires permission from the Kenyan Water Resources Management Authority. To get permission a hydro geological research is needed. This research was conducted in June 2010 by Mr. JW Kariuki of Ground Water Max Ltd., a certified and registered company (the reports are available). An Environmental Impact Assessment is also needed to get permission. SEED Samburu will coordinate this assessment. SEED Samburu also takes care of obtaining the approvals and permits. This is quite some work and the offices where the permissions and licenses must be obtained, are outside the Samburu district. SEED Samburu wants to involve the District Commissioner (chief of the district) to enable smoothly procedures;

2) Drilling: if the drilling permits are there, then a recognized and certified drilling company can start drilling. SEED Samburu will select a drilling company based on quotations and reliability. The drilling company provides the realization of the entire borehole (design, preparation, drilling, pump installation, water testing, paving around the waterhole and the backfilling of the pit);

3) Meetings: when the funds are available SEED Samburu will have several meetings with the schools and the communities to organize the drilling and the management of the boreholes. A special committee which will be in charge with the management of the boreholes will be organized;

4) Representatives of SEED Samburu and the communities will be present during the work.

SEED Samburu assumes that the two boreholes will be realized in the same period. This means a saving of some costs.

Short term:
- two boreholes in Seketet and Angata-Nanyukie Community;
- clean drinking water for people and livestock;
- water for irrigation of fields.

Long term:
- to improve the health of the Samburu in Seketet Location and Angata-Nanyukie Community;
- to reduce the number of illiterate people;
- to improve the school performance of school going children;
- to encourage economic development through income generating activities;
- to achieve food security.

Goals

• 30,000 liters of clean water per day per community
• 7,700 inhabitants per 1,100 households have access
• 800 pupils and students of 2 primary schools
• thousands of cattle have direct access to clean water
• more than 500 primary school pupils reached

The two boreholes will be drilled at the school compounds of government Primary Schools (Seketet Primary School and Angata-Nanyukie Primary School) and owned by the schools. The government, communities and SEED Samburu are monitoring these schools. To cover the costs of maintenance and management 1 Kenya shilling per jerry can of water has to be paid. Even the poor can afford 1 shilling.
To manage the borehole a committee will be organized with representatives from the school and the community. This committee opens a bank account to save money for the costs of maintenance and management.