NAIRIRI, KENYA: HEALTHY FUTURES THROUGH SAFE WATER
When we first made contact with the staff at Mailiari Health Centre in Nairiri, Kenya, they were quick to share the obstacles they faced in taking care of their community. One staff member, Ms. Jerusha Kariri, explained their predicament: “Our biggest challenge is water. Most days we don’t have water in the dispensary; even if we need to use water we don’t have anyone to collect it for us… Most patients come and want drinking water, but the facility has no water to offer them.”
In the area around Nairiri, finding water was an unavoidable challenge for the whole community. Since the nearest water sources were several kilometres away, thousands of families lived without knowing where they would find water for the next day. It wasn’t uncommon for mothers and young girls to spend all day walking just to find water for their families to drink. To make matters worse, none of the nearby water sources were protected – leaving families vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
Throughout this struggle, Mailiari’s dedicated staff worked to support their community. However, water scarcity left them without the resources to take care of their patients. The nurses and doctors frequently had to rely on water vendors, which put a financial strain on the health centre. Moreover, since the staff had no way of telling where the water they bought was from, they frequently had to use contaminated water for drinking and cleaning. As long as the health centre had no safe water source, both staff and patients ran the risk of infection.
A safe water source at the health centre would bring relief to the community – providing a reliable source of clean drinking water for the community, while also making it possible for Mailiari staff to provide the safe and effective medical care their community deserved. In February 2024, our Kenya team arrived in Nairiri to begin making that goal a reality.
We returned in late April 2024 to finish building the safe water system. Over the next two weeks, our Kenya team worked closely with the Nairiri community to create a safe water system that would last. With help from our volunteers and the staff at Mailiari Health Clinic, we installed the new water system’s tank and implemented a solar pump, along with two access points for the community.
We provided opportunities for clinic staff and community members to learn about water safety, sanitation, and system maintenance, in partnership with the Kenya Water for Health Organization. By educating the community about water safety, we hoped to empower them to stop the spread of waterborne diseases in their community and create a safer, healthier future for their children.
As of May 2nd, 2024, Mailiari Health Centre has a reliable source of abundant safe water. The safe water system gives health centre staff the water they need to keep themselves and their patients safe at work, while also providing for six thousand people in the Nairiri community.
