Stephanie Ng's Visit- May 2012
When we first arrived at the well, there was only a mother and child present. We were soon joined by many more children and several more mothers who were very open to answering our questions. This is one community where women used to wake up very early in search of water. They would leave their homestead by 6 AM and spend the entire day searching for water, returning in the evening. With this well, it only takes them ten minutes to fetch enough water for their family and livestock. The furthest person that uses this well takes only an hour to arrive at the well. With the time saved, women can do a multitude of domestic duties- look after kids, fetch firewood, enhance and build their homes. Moreover, they now have time to go to the big livestock market where they can now trade and sell livestock. The women use this water primarily for drinking, eating, bathing but also give it to the goats and baby livestock.
When asked how this well has changed their daily life, they said that it truly has transformed their lives. First, because of this well the community has been able to start a nursery which is attended by 40 kids. In terms of primary school, there are more than 300 students enrolled and the breakdown between boys and girls is about even. Before this well, less than 25% of the kids went to school! The biggest concern that the community now has is providing a permanent structure for the nursery- as of now, the school meets under a tree and there are no desks or chairs of the students. Still, they are grateful for the opportunity to educate their small children. Secondly, this community now has an established church! More than a source of water, this well has become a meeting point, bringing together a congregation of people. As a result, a church was formed and is now rooted in the community. Third, everyone’s health has improved drastically because they are no longer drinking water that is contaminated with water-borne diseases.
According to both the community and to Paul, the person in charge of well maintenance, the only problem this well had was a few years ago with the rubbers which were quickly replaced. Since then, there has been no problem. There is bush-fencing around the well but it is not at its original caliber; the community promised to fortify it. They informed us that the only problem with the location of this well is that it is along the road to the market so everyone in other communities pass by and use the well; unfortunately some of these travelers will also steal some of the branches from this fence to use as firewood. Once the community recognized that this was happening, they assign people to watch the wells continuously on Thursday which is the market day.
On our way to Lbaa Lo Ltepes 1/Remot 2 we came across the chairperson of Remot 1. After expressing his gratitude to The Samburu Project for bringing this well he went on to request that we drill a well for the people by the mountains that have to walk a little over an hour to get here. I was really moved at his appeal because it was not for his own benefit but rather for the benefit of another community. He went on to say that this well is used by many many people- people that are passing through, people in this community (numbering +1,000), and people from that mountain side community. As a result people have to wait in long lines to use the well. During drought time, there is an even greater influx of people to this well because this area has very green pastures. He wants to see those far communities have the same life changing stories as they do now that they have a well.
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