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Visit by TrekkingthePlanet.net

1. This was the first well drilled by Samburu project.
2. It serves about 1,500 people.
3. Well/Pump is fully operational.
4. There’s a dugout log that is used as an animal water trough (see photo).
5. The community is now able to make bricks because of the availability of water from the well.

July Visit

Routine visit to Lendadapoi well. The committee for this well has been changed, which occurs every two years. The constitution requires that officials should be in office for a term of two years starting from the time of election. Two men and two women were elected for the next 2 years. The committee members elected are responsible for making sure that the well is well managed, maintained and taken care of.

Stephanie Ng's Visit- May 2012

On my second day out in the field, we visited the very first well that The Samburu Project ever drilled, Lendadapoi Well (D1W1). There we ran into Lmerongo Lenamarker who is a dear friend of Lucas’s. I could tell how comfortable the two of them were by the tone of their voices and the frequent laughter. When I asked who uses the well most, Lmerongo answered lightheartedly though very seriously, “The women because the well belongs to them.” I was astounded at how this community really took ownership of their well and made improvements to best suit their needs. Not only is there a very formidable bush fence around the well made out of large sticks and branches to keep the livestock from walking straight up to the well, but the community has hand constructed a pipe to put over the well opening that channels the water from the well to a watering trough a few meters away. Lmerongo said that more than 2,000 goats, 500 calves and 200 camels drink from this trough every day.

For the Lendadapoi community, before this well, women had to walk behind a distant mountain to get water which would take 6 hours each day. Now, it takes 3-5 minutes to come to the well from their homes which allows women to get water early in the morning, bring it back to the livestock and family and spend the rest of the day taking care of the family or going to town to sell milk and livestock. The walk to Wamba town is 2 hours each way so by not having to walk long distances to find water, women finally have time to engage in money-making activities in town. This well has also drastically changed their health- before everyone would get diarrhea from drinking dirty water but now the clean water from the well has reduced all water-borne diseases.

Futhermore, before this well, men and women would have to walk their animals very far distances to find green pastures and less than half of the baby goats/camels/calves would survive the drought. Now that they have this well, not only is the water very clean which means they spend less money deworming their livestock, but each household makes a lot more money because all of the baby animals survive! For the Samburu people, their livestock is their livelihood; therefore, water brings life to their animal which in turn brings life (not just survival, but the ability to adequately meet your family’s needs) to the Samburu people. When we asked what are some of the major issues faced by the community, Lmerongo smiled and said “We don’t have any problems- the only problem was water and now we don’t have any problem. Well, the only problem is lack of green pastures but I doubt you have control over that.”

Although Lmerongo did not know the exact number of children from his community that went to primary school (the primary school is made up of children from several different communities), he said that there was 47 children in nursery, 12 children in high school, 1 in university. The ratio of boy students to girl students is about 50/50. Lmerongo said that most girls now are able to go to school.
In terms of the well condition, there has been no issue in the last few years. Instead, this community takes very good care and ownership of this it thereby showing how much they cherish and respect well.

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May 2011 Update by Paalo Lekuuk

Fixed and replaced a worn rubber. Paalo mobilized the community to repair future broken rubbers. The well is functional.

Kristen Kosinski's Visit - February 2011

On her visit Kristen met with a variety of community members, including elders, children and the chairwoman of the community's women's group. Below is the information she gathered on this visit:
-The community believes it’s better not to have a permanent trough because this will encourage other communities to come and water their livestock.
-One mzee is a specialist and knows how to fix the well.
-Issue: many people walk through the corridor and use the well at night.
-Approx usage: 1000 people, 3000 goats, 500 cows.
-Spare parts requested: Rubbers, Rods, Glue, Pump
-They replaced the original pump in March 2010.

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Sarah Ball's and Ashley Cook's Visit - June 2010

Notes from Lendadapol Well:
-The community used to walk behind the hill over 20 km to access water. They left at 6am and returned at 9pm.
-The community walked every day. People with donkeys went every other day. The job was primarily done by women.
-The clean water from the well has saved their livestock from dying during droughts.
-Previous water sources required three people to dig a 12 ft hole and was very dangerous as they handed the water up through the hole. The community lost two people when cattle fell on them. The holes sometimes gave way and crumbled.
-Waterborne diseases have been reduced.
-The well has broken twice. The steel rods inside wore out. They got the supplies from Lucas and fixed it themselves.
-One person in the community is trained to fix the well and doesn't charge because he, too, benefits from the well. Most of the people who have been trained have emmigrated from the area and those living there currently have forgotten how to fix the well.
-They would like a refresher course on how to fix the well.
-"The changes are unimaginable" (Lendadapol Community Member)

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