Report: D3W6: Sirata Well

Funded by Marilyn & Jeffrey Katzenberg, The Samburu Project drilled and installed a shallow well equipped with a handpump in this community.

Community members used to walk 10km each way to retrieve water. It took about 8 hours - now the walk is no more than 10-15 minutes. Women have more time for their family. They cut trees to feed to baby camels. Men go to town to buy food for the family and do manual labor. Women can take care of cows now so that sons can go to school. They can keep more baby goats and baby camels that were physically incapable of migrating for water. The well allows them to take water to the animals and allows animals to walk only a short distance for water. Water is safe and clean to drink. The community doesn't have to dig deep for water that is unclean or unsafe to dig.

The community agrees by contract to pay for maintenance costs. Each well committee collects approximately $250 dollars per year for this purpose. In order to ensure well functionality and monitor its use, The Samburu Project spends approximately $160 per year per well. This comes from our general fund, which is maintained by individual donations.

-The well broke once and members of the community fixed it within 1 day. They had to go get people who are trained to fix it.
-The rubber had worn out after 2.5 years.
- A group selected by the community maintains the well. They come every day to see if it is working smoothly and apply collective responsibility from all of the community to take care of it.
-They built a twig fence around the well.

A nearby family provides a trough for people to use but it is made of wood, therefore termites can destroy it and it is too small. Also, they cannot use it if the family is not at home. They recommended providing a larger public trough with a bigger pipe.