Safe Water Refreshes Dignity: Lataka, Kenya
July 6, 2012
“Our main problem here is water. Our water is highly contaminated and at times becomes green in color and is not fit for human consumption. Many people complain and suffer from diarrhea after drinking the water. At times, when the silt settles and the water becomes clear, you can see small red and black worms in the water. This has affected our health, making many people sick and not able to work, thus increasing the poverty level. I appeal for assistance to come to our rescue or we will continue to lavish in poverty. Clean water means a healthy nation.”
–Bedi Guba, administrator of Sololo Mission Hospital, Lataka, Kenya
Just shy of Kenya’s north border to Ethiopia and about 150 miles east of Lake Turkana, the Borana people of Lataka were challenged daily by their water supply, or lack thereof. The community’s sole water source is a small water pan, which is essentially a man-made pond created by a dam. The small pond struggled to provide for the needs of 3,000 people and their livestock and often dried up. When water was available, it was murky, contaminated with waste, and filled with worms. Water is life in Africa, and the people of Lataka had no choice but to drink and wash with this water. The physical reality of this water source was bad, but the ramifications for the people of Lataka were far worse: a lack of time, health, resources, and dignity—to start.
Everyday, Adinda must fetch water for her family.
Mrs. Jakane Molu, Chairwoman of the Safe Water Committee told us about her community’s long history with the unreliable water pan. She told us the community hired a watchman to guard the small pond from outside contamination and poisoning by enemies. This was their only water source and any tampering could affect the entire community. She mentioned that though they paid a guard for many years, they realize now that even with the guard there, the water was already dangerous due to contaminants. Unknowingly, the community had been paying to guard a silent enemy—their own water. Mrs. Molu also mentioned that women spent entire days traveling to fetch water.
Safe Water Committee chairwoman, Mrs. Jakane Molu.
Describing her own history with the water source, Mama Dedi Galgalo, a grandmother and resident of the village for 15 years, spoke beyond the health challenges to something deeper: dignity. With wrinkled hands and a weathered frame, Mama Dedi walks about 3 miles to fetch water for her family and to water her animals daily (Cows, goats, sheep and dogs).
“Our only source of water is the dam… The water is very dirty, even the color puts you off, but because we have no choice, we have to use it… During the rainy season all the runoff and waste drains into the dam and since we don’t have pit latrines, everybody goes to the bush [near the water] when the need arises. We bathe and wash clothes with the same dirty water and this discolors our clothes and makes them look old, yet they are new. I envy those who live near town because they get clean water and always look clean, healthy and smart while even though we clean ourselves, we still look dirty and [this] makes us embarrassed in front of people. With help from Water Missions, we hope one day God will answer our prayers and we will get clean and safe water.”Like their new clothes, which looked dirtier as a result of their efforts to wash them, the people of Lataka were trapped in an oppressive downward spiral of repercussions from dirty water… and they were left feeling physically sick and thirsty for dignity. This was the history of Lataka, Kenya. Today looks a lot brighter, healthier and to borrow a word from Mama Dedi, ‘smarter’ for the people of Lataka, thanks to a successful safe water project implementation by Water Missions International through the support of generous investors.
Celebrating safe water and a new future.
In March, the people of Lataka commissioned their own Living Water™ Treatment System. In addition, WMI installed a sedimentation tank, a solar-powered pumping system, two 10,000 Liter water storage tanks, and two community tap stands. With the equipment also came months of relationship building with the community, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) training sessions, and an ongoing partnership with a local pastor and his church. Community development workers for Water Missions International have led numerous ministry outreach efforts following the installation of the system.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by the safe water system being opened to the community for the first time.
In our follow-up visits to the community to check on progress and ensure sustainability, we were thrilled to learn from locals that from education, lasting relationships and safe water flows a new reality for the people of Lataka—one of dignity, hope, and the restoration of health.
Now, Mrs. Molu never speaks of enemies, but rather, speaks of gratitude, “Water Missions International- Kenya has answered the prayer of the women of this village. We do not have to worry about how safe our water is. God bless you so much, WMI!”
Eager to taste safe water.
Clean, safe water means the people are healthy. No longer do they have to spend their limited resources paying a guard to protect a pond or paying for treatment for preventable water ailments. Now, Mama Dedi Galgalo, her grandchildren and her neighbors wear clothes that are clean and smile with dignity.
From worms and murky water to health and hope, the local chief of Lataka says it best, “Look at the color of the water we were drinking and that of the treated WMI safe water; the difference is clear! Lataka is now rescued.”
"The difference is clear."
We are so grateful for the privilege to serve the people of Lataka, Kenya. Please take a look at the slideshow below for more photos from Lataka.
Click the button in the bottom right hand corner to expand the slideshow. For more photo captions, click the 'options' button in the top right corner and select 'always show titles and descriptions'. When you return the slideshow, simply click on the image to view the photos with the captions. Thanks for checking out Lataka, Kenya!
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