I’m back! Touching down in Kenya was so nice. Being able to smell the unmistakable scent of Africa, which I have come to love, brought back memories from my first trip to Uganda when I was nine. I’ve arrived at the tail end of the dry season and the weather has taken its toll on the landscape around us (the Rift Valley with the Maasai). Traditionally, the Massai are a nomadic people always looking for new fields for their animals that they rely on for their livelihoods. However, over the last couple decades, they have been slowly forced to abandon their nomadic way of life and reside in permanent locations. The challenges are apparent; in particular, establishing a clean source of water for a population that does not have many resources. The problem is most definitely not insurmountable, but it will take a lot of work.
Over the last seven years, we have been working with our generous partners POWER to build rain harvesting tanks that collect water throughout the rainy season, to be distributed throughout the dry season. What makes this more economic is that a well can be more expensive and prone to drying up over a period of time. A single tank, however, can support half a dozen households and provide a close safe water source to people throughout the entire year. With access to clean water, families are empowered and able to focus on work, livestock and schooling for their children. There is still a lot of work to be done!
Talk soon,
