Report: D4W2: Treetop Well

Funded by The Woodside Wishing Well, The Samburu Project drilled and installed a shallow well equipped with a handpump in this community.

Women and children formerly would need to walk 4 km+ depending on the river level or 7 km up the mountain. Now the well is within the village and they walk less than 1 km. For women, the previous walking distance caused back issues. However now women have time to tend to children and do business.

They have a Well Management Committee as well as Community Resource Persons (CORPS). If there is trouble with the well the committee will convene on how to fix it. So far there are no problems with maintenance. Currently their main issue has been rubbers wearing out, but they know how to fix it themselves. CORPS are community members selected to take care of the maintenance and upkeep of the wells. The community agrees by contract to pay for maintenance costs. Each well committee collects approximately $250 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 chain link fence was stolen by non-community members. Wood and thorned branches were used to create a new fence around the well. This type of fence may be more logical for wells that are closer to towns which are therefore more susceptible to being stolen.

Community interested in using the water for agricultural projects.