In the spirit of what can be accomplished when many hands join together, we are thrilled to share that the long awaited and worked for well in Kibwezi is now up and running. This well provides clean water to the entire area of Kibwezi, a town in dry, rural Eastern Kenya.
Over the past few years, African Road has partnered with Changemakers Kelvin and Patricia, with guidance from Hurlingham Rotary Club in Nairobi, Kenya, to lay the groundwork for the well. This included a hydro-geological survey, a site survey, a community trust land registration, and a community water sharing agreement. Together, African Road and Kelvin and Patricia have ensured that the community has ownership of the well and that the investment will be sustainable for the long-term.
Construction of the well
These steps laid the foundation for the well bore to be constructed and funded by a Kenyan church who took interest in Kelvin and Patricia’s work. Kelvin, an advocate for criminal justice reform and a formerly incarcerated person himself, works together with his wife Patricia to create a home for at-risk youth. Kibwezi is a challenging environment to live in where many youth turn to crime with few other opportunities available to them. You can read more about Kelvin’s work on our Changemakers page.
More construction on the well
Kibwezi is in a remote, sparsely populated area between the arid and semi-arid zones of Eastern Kenya. Two out of three people typically have no access to an adequate water supply. Rains in Kibwezi have become increasingly unpredictable, and droughts are becoming more frequent. Some villagers had to either drink dirty water from a stream or walk for up to 36km to buy expensive drinking water. Kibwezi is the most remote and arid locations of all African Road partner communities.
The new well serves not only Kelvin and Patricia’s youth home, but also the entire surrounding community.
Veronica, a mom in Kibwezi, used to travel 36 kilometers every day with her children to collect and deliver water. Last year, she expressed to us that “with clean water, I could start farming, and my seven children could go to school.” We’re happy that Veronica’s (and many others) dream has come true!
Veronica with her oxen
This is an African Road story of investment in relationship and community. Together, we can walk alongside one another in friendship, creating new possibilities and stories of hope.